Minister reaffirms support for workers’ rights
DUBAI: Dr Abdulrahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, has hailed the UAE leadership’s unwavering support for the labour market by endorsing legislation conducive to enhancing the elasticity, resilience and sustainability of the labour market nationwide.
The Minister made the statements as he visited Al Naboodah Labour Accommodation in Al Awir, Dubai, on the occasion of the International Workers’ Day, which is observed globally on May 1 every year.
“The UAE’S celebration of the Workers’ International Day is reflective of the State’s respect for all workers on the Emirati soil and the UAE leadership’s appreciation for their contributions to various economic sectors,” the Minister said.
“The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation is celebrating this occasion this year under the theme ‘Our workers are the pulse of our Achievements’ in yet a renewed affirmation of their pivotal role in the UAE labor market,” the Minister added, noting the advanced ranking enjoyed by the UAE in the global competitiveness reports, where the country is reckoned among the fastest economies that have recovered from the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to the incentives provided by the government to the private sector.
“This occasion comes this year ater the UAE started enforcing, on 2nd February, the Federal Decree-law Regarding the Regulation of Employment Relationship, which ensures protection of the rights and obligations of both parties in a balanced manner,” he concluded.
Recently, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation had warned employers and national and resident families of the risks of dealing with unlicensed domestic labour recruitment agencies, including unreliable social media pages that promote the services of this category of workers.
Theministryconfirmedthatdealingwithapproved recruitment agencies guarantees the rights of all parties, in accordance with the Domestic Workers Law and its Executive Regulations, pointing to the intensification of oversight over approved recruitment agencies to ensure their legal obligations, especially in terms of adherence to the prices of packages that are determined by the ministry, in line with recruitment costs from the countries sending this category of workers.
It further explained that recruitment offices offer the “traditional package,” in which the worker is registered on the employer’s records and resides with him during the two year contract period and its duration, which is the period during which the office guarantees the domestic worker, so this package allows the employer to replace the worker or recover the costs of recruitment in the event of any of the following four cases during the first six months of the contract, which is the probationary period.