New labour law may be 'enacted by December'

Abu Dhabi/Dubai: A new labour law, granting workers the right to peaceful assembly and form trade unions may be enacted by the end of this year, a minister said yesterday.

Dr Ali Bin Abdullah Al Ka'abi, Minister of Labour, told Gulf News yesterday that the draft labour law will be submitted to the Cabinet before summer recess for approval.

"Workers of various sectors will be represented in a federal trade union after an article is added to the Labour Law authorising the Labour Minister to issue regulations for this union," he said.

The minister's remarks came following a report on Wednesday by the New York-based Human Rights Watch, accusing the UAE of abusing the rights of expatriate workers.

The report claimed the building boom transforming Dubai and other cities in the UAE is being performed on the backs of underpaid workers from India, Pakistan, China and other Asian countries who form 90 per cent of the private work force.

Sources said rules organising trade unions were under two International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions, the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise and the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining.

The UAE has not ratified these two conventions but is expected to follow them.

Dr Al Ka'abi said feedback will be sought from businessmen, economic departments and chambers of commerce and industry, which will be given two months for suggesting any amendments to the law.

The Minister said he did not expect any opposition to the law. "We are on the workers' side and businesses do not occupy a privileged position. This law will help against the chaos that's happening now, where some workers damage their own cause by protesting violently."

He said the current series of labour protests did not mean the ministry was not doing its job. "Ten protests this month doesn't mean all companies are bad. And we are addressing any abuses within the framework of the supremacy of law and respect of human rights. Ignoring all positive development and focusing on the negative is unfair."

Dr Al Ka'abi shed doubt over the credibility of reports by certain foreign organisations.

"These reports are inaccurate and conflicting . They praised the UAE for improvements in the labour market last year. Linking a few number of labour protests to the economic boom or negotiations over free trade agreements is perplexing and illogical," he said.