New initiatives to protect Pakistani workers in UAE
Job contracts cannot be changed upon their arrival
Pakistani workers coming to the UAE will now have to undergo preand post-departure training and awareness sessions. They will also have to sign their job contracts before departing Pakistan. The contracts cannot be changed upon their arrival in the UAE.
The changes come in the wake of the UAE and Pakistan signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Monday to foster cooperation
in the labour and human resources sector, according to a press release by the Pakistan Embassy in Abu Dhabi.
The MoU was signed by Nasser Bin Thani Al Hameli, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation and Tahir Hussain Andrabi, Acting Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN, in Geneva.
Speaking to Gulf News, Mohammad Saeed Sarwar, Deputy Head of Mission at the Pakistan Embassy, said the MoU will be implemented by both countries in the near future. However, he did not give any timeframe. “I must clarify here that that job contracts signed in Pakistan between the employee and the employers cannot be changed after arrival of a worker in the UAE unless they are in favour of the worker.”
Moazzam Ahmad Khan, Ambassador of Pakistan to the UAE, had earlier told Gulf News that the minimum wage for any Pakistani blue-collar worker has already been fixed at Dh800 per month in addition to accommodation and health insurance.
The changes come in the wake of the UAE and Pakistan signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to foster cooperation in the labour and human resources sector.
The UAE and Pakistan have moved forward to protect the rights of Pakistani workers in the UAE. Now, Pakistani workers coming to the UAE will have to undergo pre-departure and post-departure training and awareness sessions. They will also have to sign their job contracts before departing Pakistan. The contracts cannot be changed upon their arrival in the UAE.
The move is aimed at curbing the exploitative practice of some employers who offer people reduced salaries after they arrive in the country.
The UAE and Pakistan on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to foster cooperation in the labour and human resources sector, according to a press release by the Pakistan Embassy in Abu Dhabi.
The MoU was signed by Nasser Bin Thani Al Hameli, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation and Tahir Hussain Andrabi, Acting Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, on the sidelines of the 108th session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva.
The MoU aims to institutionalise the administration of contractual employment of Pakistani workers in the UAE, through the use of technology, the exchange of information and continuing studies in the area of labour.
Under the MoU, Pakistan and the UAE governments have decided to undertake joint collaborative programmes and activities, including pre-departure and post-arrival educational programmes to improve the administration of the contract employment cycle.
In order to ensure a legal and risk-free working environment for Pakistani workers upon arrival in the UAE, it has been
decided that the Employment Job Offer will be signed by both parties prior to the worker’s departure from Pakistan.
That Job Offer will clearly state the rights and obligations of the worker and employer. In addition, it will provide the basis for the employment contract to be registered in the UAE.
Dispute resolution
The MoU also deals with the dispute resolution between the worker and the employer in the UAE. As per the MoU, in case no amicable settlement is reached within six weeks of the complaint, it will be referred to the judicial authorities.
Speaking to Gulf News, Mohammad Saeed Sarwar, Deputy
Head of Mission at the Pakistan Embassy in Abu Dhabi, said the MoU is an important step forward in streamlining the contractual employment regime for Pakistani workers and protecting their rights through institutionalised mechanisms.
Sarwar said the MoU will be implemented by both countries in the near future, However, he did not give a time frame.
“I must clarify here that [the] job contract signed in Pakistan between the employee and the employers cannot be changed after arrival of a worker in the UAE unless it is in favour of the worker,” he added.
According to embassy statistics, around 1.6 million Pakistani expatriates live in the
UAE.
Sarwar said that the MoU’s article related to dispute settlement is also very important as it would help reduce issues between workers and employers.
He said that a high-level committee to be formed with officials from both sides would continue to review the terms and conditions, and the progress in this regard.
Moazzam Ahmad Khan, Ambassador of Pakistan to the UAE, earlier told Gulf News that the minimum wage for any Pakistani blue-collar worker has already been fixed at Dh800 per month in addition to accommodation and health insurance.