People employing illegal workers to be imprisoned

Dubai: The labour law will include an article stipulating imprisonment for those employing illegal workers, the Minister of Labour told Gulf News.

Dr Ali Bin Abdullah Al Ka'abi, Minister of Labour, said tackling the issue of illegal workers is a main priority for the Ministry of Labour in the next three years, he said.

There are some 300,000 illegal workers in the country, according to the Ministry of Labour statistics.

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, had emphasised the importance of stricter measures against offenders to ensure the rule of the law.

"Those who violate labour laws endanger national security, threaten the stability of the economy and labour market," Shaikh Mohammad said, while unveiling the UAE Government Strategy on Tuesday.

"Next week a committee will outline the strategic aims of the ministry for the next three years which has to be inline with the federal development plan," said Al Ka'abi.

The ministry will shift from predicted inspections to sudden ones as they are more effective in containing the issue of illegal workers, he said.

Procedures to ensure labourers' rights

The Ministry of Labour has already started planning new procedures to ensure labourers' rights, according to a ministry official.

Following the three-year strategy plan announced on Tuesday by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the ministry will start applying the plans, said Obaid Rashid Al Zahmi, Assistant Undersecretary at the Ministry.

"The new plans will include dealing with illegal labour force, establishments' inspection and taking care of safety and health issues for labourers in the UAE," said Al Zahmi.