Ministry of Labour to implement initiative on contractual workers

Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Labour has set up a national team to follow up implementation of the model initiative for management of cycle of temporary contractual workers from India and Philippines.

The move stems out of the federal government vision to enforce recommendations issued by Ministerial Consultations on Overseas Employment and Contractual Labour for Countries of Origin and Destination in Asia (Abu Dhabi Dialogue) in January 2008.

The team is made up of government and private sector representatives from the ministries of foreign affairs, interior and health, Dubai Health Authority, Jumeirah Group, Al Naboodah Construction Group, Abu Dhabi National

Hotels, Associated Construction and Investments Company LLC (ASCON), Al Nour Hospital and NMC Speciality Hospital.

Saqr Gobash, Minister of Labour, affirmed the importance of the project in finding a more safe, transparent and internationally recognised mechanism for importing workforce.

"We are keen to introduce new creative solutions to arrive at a joint declaration for participating countries in the ‘Abu Dhabi Dialogue' based on the best practices so as to be an official reference for regulating relationship between sending and receiving countries of temporary contractual workers..." he said.