The storm had already claimed the lives of at least two people in China's Hainan and 16 people in the Philippines
asia11 hours ago
That the proposal is perfectly in line with and endorsed by the enlightened leadership of the UAE, especially the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, need hardly be reiterated. What is now of consequence is what next?
Obviously, the impact of any such pioneering regulatory mechanism in the ever-expanding labour sector in the Gulf, affecting millions and millions of expatriate and other unskilled workers, will be felt not just within the Emirates, but elsewhere in the region as well.
It would not be surprising that the UAE's lead in this context, once any such proposed mechanism is finally in place, provides the blue-print and the much-needed impetus for initiating similar labour protection laws throughout the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) states. And the reason why we should expect this to follow as a natural corollary is because all the six GCC states (including the UAE) have similarly large numbers of unskilled labourers and thus often confront similar problems related to their welfare.
With the UAE also slated to host the Fourth Ministerial Consultations on Overseas Employment and Contractual Labour for Countries of Origin in Asia, commonly known as the Colombo Process, next month in Abu Dhabi, now is the time to seriously take the minimum wages proposal forward. Already, a study is being carried out by the UAE's National Human Resource Development and Employment Authority (Tanmia). And if past precedent is any guide, one can well assume that a minimum wages law would be legislated here sooner rather than later.
The pace of change and the momentum of it is also a sign of good governance. And on that count, the UAE has already established a big lead in a big way in various spheres in this region. Also, it would be well to bear in mind that what is good for the employees is always also good for the employers.
The storm had already claimed the lives of at least two people in China's Hainan and 16 people in the Philippines
asia11 hours ago
Dubai Police have asked drivers to be extra cautious
transport11 hours ago
The former all-rounder has returned to cricket during the past year after a horrific car crash at the end of 2022
cricket11 hours ago
Dubai Police have asked drivers to be extra cautious
emergencies12 hours ago
The country has set a new Guinness World Record by creating the largest falcon hood, beating the previous record of 1.65 metres
uae13 hours ago
Hamas' health ministry said that 94,616 people have been wounded since the conflict began on October 7
mena13 hours ago
In most Islamic countries, including the Gulf countries, the Prophet's birthday is observed on 12 Rabi’ Al-Awwal 1444
uae holidays14 hours ago
Traffic will be diverted to the opposite side during this period
transport14 hours ago