labels: economy - general
UAE plans minimum wage structure for emigrant workersnews
26 March 2007

Mumbai: The United Arab Emirates government will introduce a minimum wage structure for foreign workers, beginning with the construction industry, with a view to better their living conditions.

"The country is engaged in a major and multi-faceted campaign to improve the conditions of expatriate labour in the country," UAE's minister of labour, Ali Abdullah Al Ka'abi, said.

"The campaign, launched on the instructions of vice president and prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, was designed to tackle many of the problems currently faced by the labour force," he said, adding, "These included health and safety concerns, the poor quality of accommodation, irregular payment of salaries by companies etc."

The new labour law, currently being drafted, stipulates the implementation of a minimum wage structure that would require only a proposal from the minister of labour and approval by the prime minister, against the conventional procedure of issuing a federal decree.

The ministry is also studying the possibility of introducing government-run recruitment agencies to regularise and rationalise the procedures for recruitment and to make it possible to eliminate irregularities at the UAE end of the recruitment process, the minister added.

The minister was among a high-level delegation led by UAE vice-president and prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, which is on a two-day visit to the country.

Sheikh Mohammed, accompanied by seven ministers and a high-level business delegation, is visiting India on the invitation of prime minister Manmohan Singh.

Several economic and bilateral accords are likely to be signed during the delegation's two-day visit to the country.

During the visit, the two countries are expected to sign a double taxation protocol. A double taxation agreement already exists between the two countries.

A visa avoidance agreement on government officials holding diplomatic passports of the two countries will also be signed to facilitate mutual visits.

Other agreements to be signed include those on customs cooperation, exchange of prisoners between the two countries (an extradition agreement already exists), on combating international terrorism, money laundering and other crimes.

Shaikh Mohammed, also ruler of Dubai, who took over as UAE prime minister in January 2006, last visited India in 1974 as UAE defence minister accompanying his father, the late Shaikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum.


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UAE plans minimum wage structure for emigrant workers