Scrap job sponsorship system, says Dubai police chief

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Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim told a police conference in Dubai on Wednesday that under the present system a sponsor — a UAE national — was obliged to pay the worker, provide accommodation or living expenses, and medical insurance.

“We should liberate the relationship between the sponsor and the worker by having a contract that stipulates employment of the worker by fixed salary without having additional conditions such as housing or medical care.

“At the same time, the sponsor should not be responsible for crimes committed by workers, or any financial problems.”

In May, Bahrain said it was scrapping a similar system, although government bodies have since said it may not and free movement of workers was being debated. Oman is studying the issue.

Dhahi said some firms were opposing sponsorship being axed because they were concerned about workers moving to another company.

However, he said workers do have the right to move to another company.

He said that UAE laws on the issue would protect the national interest and not serve certain categories of workers.

Dhahi said a free labour market would ensure workers entered the country only for legitimate work, reducing the consequences of employing illegals.

He said the financial crisis had resulted in the termination of some employees in 2008 and those terminations had led to strikes in some cases. But all workers had been paid in full and on time, he said.

“We have instructed the security officials to tackle labourer strikes and protests and disperse the workers to prevent them from breaking the laws,” Dhahi said.

He said Dubai Police human rights department had created a hot line to receive labour complaints. During the past six months of the current year there had been 3,335 inspections, including 2,109 at labour accommodations and at companies, on behalf of workers rights.

He said Dubai had established a human trafficking centre to monitor temporary labour issues and to find solutions for their problems .

Dhahi said that although 200 workers had been referred to a labourers shelter since it was established two months ago in Dubai, no workers were currently being housed there. He said the labourers who had been terminated were given their entitlements a choice whether to travel or work in other countries.

 

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