‘UAE continues to protect workers' rights’

Humaid bin Demas Al Suwaidi, Assistant Undersecretary for Labour Affairs at the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, on Friday stressed that the UAE continues to protect workers' rights through effective policies and promote transparency in the employer/worker contractual relationship.

He was speaking at the meeting of the board of directors of the International Labour Organisation in Geneva.

The official demanded the ILO adopt practices and initiatives that reflect the partnerships between labour-exporting and labour recipient countries.

The establishment of a transparent contractual relationship between these countries is a collective responsibility, he said.

"Employment is a complicated cross-border process and involves several responsibilities and parties such as employment agencies, brokers and government authorities. This requires labour exporting and labour recipient countries to play integral roles to ensure that the process is transparent," Al Suwaidi said.

He also called upon the international organisation to move from identifying challenges facing employment to developing practical solutions and initiatives to establish just and transparent contractual relations.

Al Suwaidi gave a presentation about the new labour rules which came into effect in the UAE at the beginning of this year. The rules are aimed to forge a stronger relationship between employers and workers and enhance the labour market across the country by ensuring transparency and encouraging more flexible labour mobility for workers.

In September 2015, the then Ministry of Labour (renamed Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation) issued Ministerial Decrees 764, 765 and 766 to pave way for improved labour relations by securing more stable practices, governed by regulations that protect workers who are legally sponsored to enter the UAE.

The new rules will also bring greater transparency, clarity and tighter monitoring of labour contract conditions and ensure that both employer and employee enter into fully voluntary relationships.

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