Labour housing must conform to international standards

Dubai: Companies that fail to provide labour accommodations which do not meet international standards and requirements will not be granted new work permits, said Saqr Ghobash, Minister of Labour.

“The UAE is keen on ensuring labour accommodations are on par with international standards,” Ghobash said, adding that legislative measures are put in place to ensure ethical practices in the labour market.

His statement came during a meeting, which he chaired, at the ministry with the heads of a number government departments, including: Major General Mohammad Ahmad Al Merri, Director of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs; Hussain Lootah, Director General of Dubai Municipality, and Major General Obaid Muhair Bin Surour, Chairman of the Permanent Committee for Labour Affairs.

Ghobash stressed the importance of the meeting as part of continuing coordination between the concerned departments.

“We want to ensure that labourers are not cheated of their rights,” he said, “and that their living conditions are comfortable, sanitary and humane as per the requirements of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai.”

The state of labour housing in Dubai was reviewed during the meeting, Ghobash said strategic plans, programmes and initiatives were put in place to ameliorate the living conditions.

“We will set up a permanent joint committee comprising of representatives from a number of government agencies including the Ministry of Labour,” Ghobash said, adding that inspection teams will be formed as part of the joint committee to follow up on labour housing conditions in Dubai.

“There is a guide, which has been approved by the UAE Cabinet, detailing the standards for labour accommodations,” he said, “this includes how many people should be living in any given space, the necessary facilities that should be present nearby as well as health and safety requirements.”

Earlier, the Ministry of Labour has clarified that employees must fulfil their legal obligations in accordance to contract before their move to another facility is approved.

Employees will also be granted the ability to move to other facilities if their employer fails to follow the law as stipulated in the contract.

This falls according to the new decrees, which overlook ending an employment relationship and granting employees a new work permit. The decrees, issued by the Minister of Labour, came into effect on January 1, 2016.

“The three new decrees ensure a stable, balanced and transparent working relationship between employers and workers,” Humaid Bin Deemas Al Suwaidi, Assistant Undersecretary for Labour Affairs, said,” they are based on a contractual basis, mutually accepted by both sides and in line with the labour laws and regulations.”

The decrees also gives workers the right to end their employment any time, “whether by reaching an agreement or proof that one side of the relationship does not fulfil obligations towards the other,” Bin Deemas said, adding that “the Ministry guarantees rights even after contract termination.”

Speaking of fixed-term contracts in accordance with the decision of the Minister of Labour, he said, “The ministry’s commitment to take measures in the event of ending a relationship, whether through agreement between both parties or in the event a party decides to terminate the relation contrarily, and thus be obliged to face all legal consequences to end the relation, then agree to grant the worker a mobility acceptance to another facility or reject the permit which shall be resubmitted after one year from the date of termination.”