Concern over increase in foreign labour

There was a break from tradition in this week's Federal National Council (FNC) session as the agenda was changed to allow members to question the policies of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.

The session, on Tuesday, began with details of international and regional agreements signed by the country recently, followed by the open debate hour.

The debate focused on the lack of amenities and infrastructure in rural areas, with several members blaming the government for neglecting these districts.

Members decided to table it for a short debate, with the support of Speaker Saeed Mohammed Al Ghandi. The debate began with heated exchanges, in which member Mohammed Rashid Al Saridi told the House that most of the rural areas still lack basic amenities, such as road networks, health facilities and education services.

Abdullah Khalfan Al Sheraiqi, Ahmed Moham-med Al Khatheri and Mubarak Al Shamsi supported his statements and asked the chair and the house to set up an ad-hoc committee to evaluate the situation in these areas.

But the speaker suggested that the issue should be raised at the government level, which was opposed by Al Shamsi, who pressed for house committee visits and fields trips. Dr Habib Al Mulla said since it was neither a motion nor part of the question hour proceedings, a house committee cannot be formed in this session.

Demographic imbalance

When members supporting Al Saridi and Al Shamsi insisted on the formation of a panel, the speaker said the matter will be referred to a committee for discussion and will also be raised with the government.

The debate on the labour policy began with members' statements about the demographic imbalance that was caused by the ministry which allowed the entry of more foreign workers, without evaluating the needs.

Matar Humaid Al Tayer, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, presented a lengthy report on the ministry's performance and labour market rules. He also dismissed allegations that the ministry imposed no checks and balances on the labour market.

"The ministry does not issue work permits for the sake of doing so," he said. "But at the same time, the ministry also cannot be an obstacle in the development of the country. Our job is to monitor and streamline the labour market and labourers are needed for this development." Al Tayer told the house.

Proposals scrapped

Following Al Tayer's report and arguments, the house had a sudden change of heart and decided to scrap its own set of recommendations for the ministry's consideration.

While reviewing the recommendations, the brainchild of Mohammed Hamdan bin Khadim, the speaker asked the house whether they should be scrapped or approved. The house, excluding a few members, voted for the proposals to be scrapped. The council then agreed to form an in-house committee to prepare recommendations that might support the work of the ministry.

The following are some extracts from the debate and arguments on the country's labour policy:

Mohammed Hamdan bin Khadim: "The bank guarantee system for securing workers' rights has not reduced the flow of labourers into the country. Since it is of no use, why can't the money be used to support projects to employ jobless nationals?

The minister: "The bank guarantee system does not allow the money to be invested in any other project. The money must remain in the bank and should only be liquidated if a company goes bankrupt or closes down without paying its workers. It is impossible for the money to be invested since the labour force is unstable.

Bin Khadim: "Last year the ministry issued half a million work permits and the numbers are increasing. Many workers have not been paid for long periods of time and yet the bank guarantee deposits have not been liquidated to pay off their salaries.

The minister: "The honourable member failed to mention the numbers of workers whose visas have been cancelled and have returned back home.

"The bank guarantee has indeed reduced the numbers of workers and has helped secure their rights. Previously there was no less than 25,000 labour cases in the courts and 90 per cent of them were because of late wages."

Bank guarantee

Bin Khadim: "Many workers are forced to pay the bank guarantee themselves because employers claim that they cannot afford to pay the sum themselves. Many employers ask their workers to pay the sum with false promises that they would return the money."

The minister: "This is against the law, and the ministry can only intervene if a complaint is filed. Many workers also pay huge sums to middlemen to work in the UAE, this is not the ministry's responsibility. It is the concern of workers who subject themselves to this kind of fraud to find work."

Ali Obaid Al Za'abi: "We have to put a stop to these group permits since a large number of establishments applying for group work permits are inactive.

"The ministry should verify requests for group work permits and visit the job site. Permits should only be issued according to the needs of the projects. These workers should be returned after the project is over.

The minister: "We only issue work permits based on the need of the company and never give permits in excess."

Al Za'abi: "The inspection section at the labour ministry has failed to perform well. Last year there were only around 10 inspectors for up to 60,000 establishments.

The minister: "We have asked for an increase in the number of inspectors at the ministry. We do have a deficiency in the numbers and we hope to have 500 inspectors by next year.

"The availability of human resources is a factor, as well as financing. We have no transportation to take our inspectors to different establishments as many of the cars are outdated and not safe to use."

Abdullah Al Muwaiji: "Foreigners bring in their own language, traditions and cultures. We are starting to lose our national identity. Our language is now mixed with other languages because we constantly deal with expatriates. I concede it is not the ministry's fault, but it does reflect on the ministry's performance.

Condition for work

"The proper behaviour of a labourer should be an important condition for work in the UAE. Some labourers act in a disgusting manner and it affects the country."

The minister: "We have expatriates from around 150 countries and there is no doubt that we will, in some way, be affected by their language and culture. I do agree with the honourable Al Muwaiji that we should look out for the behaviour of some labourers, and the ministry is trying to bring in a more educated workforce."

Dr Hussain Al Mutawa: "From 2000 to 2003, there was a problem in the quality of workers. A lot of workers were unskilled and uneducated. Almost 700,000 workers have less than a high school degree, half of them have had only primary schooling and 50,000 are illiterate. We need to have a comprehensive plan to limit these kinds of workers.

The minister: "Over the last few years, the ministry has created a clear data-base that monitors workers coming into the country. The requirement for high school educ