NEWS FROM THE U.A.E.
Excerpts from UAE Dailies
Gang of 15 Asians held for misusing Etisalat network
SHARJAH — 09 May:A gang of Asian youth was busted yesterday by Sharjah Police in Khorfakkan area with the arrest of 15 youth involved in illegally accessing the Etisalat International Subscriber Dial (ISD) services using an electronic technique to make international calls.
Etisalat complained about a group of people making ISD calls illegally from their residence in Al Khaba area in Khorfakkan by using illegal equipment to invade the UAE telecom giant's international networks.
These equipment include dishes and receivers that are not allowed in the country and computers and telephones that were programmed to allow the people to call their country for cheap rates.
Based on the information, the police formed teams of officers who followed up and searched the area till they succeeded in tracking the seven houses beside an electronics outlet being used by the gang to conduct their activities.
The police arrested the gang members red-handed and confiscated all the equipment in their possession.
Brigadier Saif Al Zari, Director of Eastern Area Police Station, said that these kind of cases have become a menace to society due to the increasing numbers of gangs involved in crimes of theft in the country.
He urged the institutions and public to cooperate to help police crack down on this kind of crime.
KHALEEJ TIMES
Nighttime shifts will save firms money
ABU DHABI — 09 May: Labour officials are pressing ahead with plans to introduce night time shifts for building labourers despite opposition from construction companies.
Labour Ministry officials say night shifts will prove more economical for construction firms in the long run that daytime shifts.
A Labour Ministry official told the Khaleej Times: "Having night shifts will be economical because it spares companies, mainly contracting and construction companies, many expenses for providing workers with essential safety and precaution equipment".
He said the new law banning companies from making labourers work during noon hours in the months of July and August had also shown clear reductions in costs because fewer inspections were needed.
However, the official said the latest moves towards protecting labourers' health was not associated with recent protests staged by construction workers.
The midday break rule created by the Labour Ministry last year would continue this year also, said the official.
KHALEEJ TIMES
Breakfast vital to child's performance at school
DUBAI — 09 May:Putting a little more thought into breakfast could make a serious difference to a child’s performance at school and could reduce the chance of getting cholesterol problems or becoming obese.
Health experts in the UAE have expressed their concern as more schoolchildren forego breakfast in the morning.
Especially in the UAE, the trend of not having breakfast among children is becoming more prevalent, mostly out of convenience. There is simply no time for breakfast anymore.
"Children who do not eat a good breakfast become tired in school and have shorter attention spans. Also not having breakfast makes children more hungry for snacks during the day and would make them eat larger lunch and meals, in this way actually enforcing weight gain,” said Dr Mariam Matar, a renowned family health physician and Head of Research and Community Projects of the Department of Health and Medical Services (Dohms) in Dubai.
“In a country where more then 25 per cent of the locals have obesity problems, it is very important, especially for children, to get a well balanced diet, starting with the breakfast,” she added.
Research suggests that breakfast consumption is related positively to children’s cognitive function and school performance.
The results show that breakfast eaters perform much better in their school work and show extra energy in sports and other physical activities. Children who skip breakfast will be more sluggish, less attentive, and have less energy to carry out their morning tasks.
Besides assuring optimal development and growth, positive effects on alertness, attention, performance on standardised achievement tests, and other skills important for academic success are enhanced for those who eat breakfast on a daily basis.
According to Dr Matar, efforts are needed to educate children on healthier easy-to-prepare breakfast choices and the parents on the importance of having these breakfast choices available and accessible to their children.
“When presenting children with breakfast try to make it as balanced as possible just like every other meal of the day. An ideal breakfast could consist of cereals, milk, fruits or breakfast cereals as they are low in fat and high in complex carbohydrates, which is the best way to get energy. Adding milk would give you the needed, which is good for the bones and fruit for the essential vitamins and minerals,” he said.
Moreover, she said that parents should offer variety and be creative with breakfast. “If the youngster likes cereal, give it an extra boost with a sprinkling of wheat germ, chopped nuts, raisins, or other fruit. You can also offer variety by giving your children different cereals every week," she added.
KHALEEJ TIMES
Abu Dhabi to get three new hospitals
Abu Dhabi: 09 May:The General Authority for Health Services (GAHS) in Abu Dhabi has granted licences to investors to build three private hospitals, said health officials.
Zaid Al Suksuk, Director of Health Planning and Regulations at GAHS, told Gulf News that two of the three projects had been granted preliminary licences, while the third had been given a final licence.
"One hospital will be a maternity and children's hospital, another will be a general hospital and the third will probably treat cancer," he said.
150-bed capacity
Construction costs for the children's hospital will be Dh200 million, the general centre will cost Dh120 million, and the third centre will cost Dh60 million.
"Each hospital will have a capacity of over 150 beds. We are interested in providing an appropriate atmosphere for the development of private medical centres, provided they commit to international quality standards," added Al Suksuk.
He said their locations would be up to the investors.
The GAHS has required investors to submit a feasibility study for their projects, a new requirement that takes population needs into account. The new health establishments will have to abide by American, British, Australian and Asian specifications.
GULF NEWS
New insurance plan may bury free healthcare system
Dubai: 09 May: The days of free health coverage for UAE nationals may be numbered, as the current federal insurance draft law does not specify who is responsible for paying the premium.
Presently, UAE nationals receive free medical care from public hospitals and medical institutions.
Abdullah Al Ahmadi, director of finance and administration department at the ministry and one of the officials involved in drafting the law, told Gulf News that the draft law pertains to UAE nationals and residents alike.
"The draft law just states that every resident of the UAE must have insurance coverage," he said.
"Who will pay is another issue whether the government should pay for nationals, or whether they have to pay, or it's subsidised," he added.
He said the draft, which is under negotiation at the Ministry of Justice, did not specify whether employers would be responsible for paying the premium of the insurance, either.
When asked if deducting salaries was one method employers might use to pay for the premium, Al Ahmadi said it was a possibility. "It is one way for big companies that have a payroll system. It will be like other countries, where people pay for healthcare through taxes," he said.
Other ministries' help
However, he did not rule out that specifics detailing the parties responsible for the premium and the payment methods would be added to the draft law at a later stage, saying that the final details would only be known after the Cabinet approves the law and the president ratifies it.
Al Ahmadi also said that Health Ministry officials expected other ministries to come up with laws that will cover the gap, such as a law from the Labour Ministry detailing whether employers should be responsible for footing the insurance bill.
The UAE is likely to implement the national health insurance later this year, after Abu Dhabi implements its health insurance plan in July.
Blueprint
The national health insurance plan mirrors the Abu Dhabi insurance plan for the most part, according to health officials.
Dr Saeed Abdullah Ishaq, director of central quality and development department at the ministry and based in Abu Dhabi, said under the Abu Dhabi plan, employers are required by law to pay for their employees' health insurance coverage, according to four schemes. The four schemes include basic care for emergencies, access to all healthcare services and international coverage during travel.
GULF NEWS
Special panel to study minimum wage plan
Abu Dhabi/Dubai: 09 May: A proposal for a minimum working wage will be studied by a special labour committee, the labour minister said, but would not give additional details.
Dr Ali Bin Abdullah Al Ka'abi said on Sunday that a committee constituted to debate labour market obstacles agreed to prepare a study on setting a minimum wage.
He declined to provide further details.
"I am not in a position to give any more details on this matter at the moment. I can't say anything more than what was announced yesterday," he told Gulf News.
The UAE labour law, prepared in 1980, called on the labour minister to set a minimum wage "sufficient to meet the worker's basic needs and guarantee his livelihood."
The law has not been activated.
A senior labour official said setting a minimum wage will reduce the increasing number of labour protests.
"It's a main reason why labourers protest, alongside incitement," he said.
GULF NEWS
India to woo its own
U.A.E. - 09 May : Major construction firms in the UAE have expressed concern over an Indian minister’s comment that his country wants to discourage its blue collar workers from moving overseas.
Indian workers form a major part of the booming construction sector in the UAE, with experts estimating that 80 per cent of the industry is staffed by Indians across all levels.
“The Gulf used to be a gold mine some time back. But not anymore.The market in India is booming and we are encouraging people to stay back and work,” said Indian Minister for Overseas Affairs, Vayalar Ravi, while on a visit to the UAE this week.
According to official Indian data, 549,000 workers in the semi-skilled and unskilled categories left India on employment visas last year. More than 194,000 of them came to the UAE.
Elaborating on the minister’s statement, BS Mubarak, labour consul at the Indian Consulate in Dubai, said workers in India earn good money nowadays.
“Particularly in the unskilled category, in India they would earn about 70 per cent of what they make here. Besides that the cost of living is cheaper and they will not be maintaining two households [if they are working abroad],” he told Emirates Today.
“An unskilled person who has come here as a helper, goes back as a helper even after 10 years. Our directives and initiatives would be in the direction of training and workers’ acquiring [new] skills,” Mubarak said.
Saif Belhasa, Chairman of Belhasa Group and former president of UAE Contractors Association, however, pointed out that: “Dubai is booming. It is a very active market. For five to seven years more we need this labour.” He said companies prefer to hire Indian workers because it is easier to communicate with them. “We are depending on Indian labourers, but there are many other countries, such as China and Bangladesh, that can supply us with labour,” Belhasa said.
Prem Kumar, General Manager of ABM, a construction company that has a workforce of more than 10,000 Indian workers, said: “Dubai is dependent on Indian labour.Without the labour from India, projects will certainly suffer. I don’t think that labour from India needs to be completely restricted but it needs to be better regulated and protected.” Mariam Azmy, HR manager of Al Shafar General Contracting Company, said: “There should not be a blanket restriction.There should be more awareness that workers accept employment in good companies that pay on time and treat them well.” The minimum prescribed wages for unskilled and semiskilled workers range between Dh600 and Dh750.
“In reality these workers get no more than Dh400-450,” said Deepak Chhabria, chairman of Indian Personnel Employment Promotion Council.
Many workers who Emirates Today spoke to said they were thinking of returning home.
Major construction firms in the UAE have expressed concern over an Indian minister’s com- ment that his country wants to discourage its blue collar workers from moving overseas. Indian workers form a major part of the booming construction sector in the UAE, with experts estimating that 80 per cent of the industry is staffed by Indians across all levels. “The Gulf used to be a gold mine some time back. But not anymore.The market in India is booming and we are encouraging people to stay back and work,” said Indian Minister for Overseas Affairs, Vayalar Ravi, while on a visit to the UAE this week. According to official Indian data, 549,000 workers in the semi-skilled and unskilled cate- gories left India on employment visas last year. More than 194,000 of them came to the UAE. Elaborating on the minister’s statement, BS Mubarak, labour consul at the Indian Consulate in Dubai, said workers in India earn good money nowadays. “Particularly in the unskilled category, in India they would earn about 70 per cent of what they make here. Besides that the cost of living is cheaper and they will not be maintaining two households [if they are working abroad],” he told Emirates Today. “An unskilled person who has come here as a helper, goes back as a helper even after 10 years. Our directives and initiatives would be in the direction of train- ing and workers’ acquiring [new] skills,” Mubarak said. Saif Belhasa, Chairman of Bel- hasa Group and former presi- dent of UAE Contractors Associ- ation, however, pointed out that: “Dubai is booming. It is a very active market. For five to seven years more we need this labour.” He said companies prefer to hire Indian workers because it is easier to communicate with them. “We are depending on Indian labourers, but there are many other countries, such as China and Bangladesh, that can supply us with labour,” Belhasa said. Prem Kumar, General Man- ager of ABM, a construction company that has a workforce of more than 10,000 Indian work- ers, said: “Dubai is dependent on Indian labour.Without the labour from India, projects will certainly suffer. I don’t think that labour from India needs to be completely restricted but it needs to be better regulated and protected.” Mariam Azmy, HR manager of Al Shafar General Contracting Company, said: “There should not be a blanket restriction.There should be more awareness that workers accept employment in good companies that pay on time and treat them well.” The minimum prescribed wages for unskilled and semi- skilled workers range between Dh600 and Dh750. “In reality these workers get no more than Dh400-450,” said Deepak Chhabria, chairman of Indian Personnel Employment Promotion Council. Many workers who Emirates Today spoke to said they were thinking of returning home.
EMIRATES TODAY