Khaleej Times

ABU DHABI, Oct 23: The UAE will open labour offices in India and the Philippines to recruit workers, ending the role of recruitment agencies.

These offices will also educate the workers about the labour laws and customs of the UAE before they embark on the journey.

This was announced by Minister of Labour Dr Ali bin Abdullah Al Ka’abi after meeting Indian Minister for Overseas Affairs Vayalar Ravi and Philippine Secretary for Labour and Employment Arturo D. Brion separately to discuss implementation of the memoranda of understanding signed with these countries on labour issues.

Both Indian and Philippine ministers welcomed the decision to open labour offices in their countries.

Dr Al Ka’abi said he discussed a host of important issues including labour contracts and labour strikes for salary increase with the visiting ministers. He also apprised them of the administrative measures taken by the ministry to deport those who provoked the strikes.

Workers have no right to stage strikes for salary increase once they have signed the labour contracts, he said.  The definite term contract and the possibility of transfer of sponsorship after the expiry of the contract and demand for salary increment also figured at the discussions.

The minister apprised the Indian minister about the proposed ceiling on the stay of unskilled labours in the country at six years (under the 3+3 formula) which will be considered by the GCC labour ministers in Riyadh next month.

He praised India for the steps taken against unscrupulous recruitment agencies. He said these would contribute to the protection of workers’s rights.

On his part, Vayalar Ravi said the three-month amnesty period granted by the UAE government had helped a large number of illegal workers to regularise their status.

He said around 50,000 Indian workers used the time to legalise their stay, noting that India had attuned the migration laws of the country to the requirements of the grace period.

Stringent penalties including fines and ban have been announced to rein in unscrupulous recruitment agencies, he said.

Owners of such firms will be banned from opening any business in the country.

The Indian minister said he understood the recent stand of the UAE Labour Ministry on labour strikes, especially the definite term contract. He urged the UAE to brief India on measures it intends to take to protect the workforce.

He said the Indian workers in the UAE are “good” and “law-abiding”.

The UAE and India have agreed to get rid of recruitment agencies by opening labour offices in India, he said. He called on the UAE to extend the labour laws on the domestic helpers also.

Meanwhile, Dr Al Ka’abi and Philippine Secretary of Labour and Employment Brion reviewed the MoU signed by the two sides and observations made on it by the Asian country’s technical labour committee.

Brion commended efforts by the UAE Labour Ministry to improve the conditions of workers. He also welcomed the UAE’s idea to open labour offices in the Philippines. He urged the UAE to extend the labour laws to domestic helpers too.

Obeid Rashid Al Zahmi, Assistant Under Secretary at the Labour Ministry, said detailed talks would be held with the two countries later.