Called for Following up on the Recruitment Agencies’ Activities

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates - Saturday, July 12th 2014 [ME NewsWire]
The Law Respect Culture Bureau at the General Secretariat of the Office of H.H Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Interior organized a Ramadan council in Umm Al Quwain. The council that was hosted by Khuloud buHaroun, was held under the theme of United in Responsibility: “Our Culture and Domestic Workers”. It was moderated by media personality Rasha Al Shammari.
The women council was attended by Dr. Moza Ghobash, Professor of Sociology and chairwoman of the Rewaq Ousha bint Hussein Cultural Center; Dr. Sheikha Issa, member of the Federal National Council; Sheikha Youaan Al Sbousi, Member of the Advisory Council of Sharjah; and Lamia Ali Al Zarouni, Legal Researcher at the Directorate General of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Sharjah.
Participants discussed a number of topics related to domestic workers, notably the definition of domestic workers, their rights and obligations. How to treat domestic workers fairly and how to make them positive family members? What are the common problems caused by house-help and how to avoid them? Are domestic workers responsible for creating a dependent and lazy generation? How can we balance between the need for domestic workers, the excessive reliance on them and total dependence on them?
Dr. Moza Ghobash stressed the need for maintaining confidentiality with respect to family matters. Moreover, she called for activating the role of the Ministry of Interior in enacting laws that protect citizens, such as the role played by the Ministry of Social Affairs.
For her part, Dr. Sheikha Issa emphasized the importance of justice by guaranteeing the rights of both contracting parties (the employer and the domestic worker)  in a way that ensures that the rights of one party does not outweigh the others.
Sheikha Al Sbousi called for establishing the legal framework and controls to regulate relations with domestic workers, by clearly defining their duties, functions, responsibilities, and rights and respecting human rights without undermining citizens’ rights.
Lamia Al Zarouni stressed the importance of treating domestic workers fairly and humanely. She also stressed the need to establish a balanced and clear relation between workers and their employers, based on fair and humane treatment and the respect of citizens’ rights through new laws.
For her part, Hanane Abdullah Al Ali, Center Supervisor at Emirates Identity Authority (EIDA), emphasized the importance of joining efforts between various Government agencies so as to reduce the impact of domestic workers on our culture. “This can be achieved by encouraging the Ministry of Education to infuse the Emirati culture values into the educational curricula, and determining the means to preserve and disseminate these values in an effective way. The Ministry of Labor can also coordinate with the entities involved to follow-up on the activities of recruitment agencies, so as to address any potential workers-related challenges proactively,” she indicated.
Mrs. Al Ali also recommended encouraging the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Labor to develop training and educational programs aimed at promoting performance of domestic workers and increasing their awareness. She also urged the relevant entities, such as the Ministry of Health, to supervise medical examinations for domestic workers who undergo medical tests in their home countries before traveling to the UAE. “The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development are called upon to join hands with the Ministry of Social Affairs and local stakeholders in the UAE, with a view to provide awareness programs designed for UAE nationals who employ domestic workers. These programs will highlight the optimal means to deal with domestic workers,, and to preserve the Emirati culture,” she concluded.
Raefa Ahmed Mahmoud, First Assistant at the Umm Al Quwain Police GHQ requested that the sponsorship transfer should be restricted to all work categories (such as corporate and office workers), with the exception of domestic workers. “Recruitment agencies tend to take advantage of this procedure for their own benefit, to the detriment of the citizen,” she explained. Furthermore, Mahmoud said that sponsorship transfer should be based on strong regulations so as not to harm any party.
In conclusion, she called for amending labor laws related to domestic workers, and for delegating the mission of overseeing training of this category to governmental agencies in the country.
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The Arabic-language text of this announcement is the official, authoritative version. Translations are provided as an accommodation only, and should be cross-referenced with the Arabic-language text, which is the only version of the text intended to have legal effect.
Contacts
The UAE Minister of Interior's General Secretariat, Tactical Affairs and Security Media Department
Abu Dhabi Police GHQ - Security Media
Chris Cron +971-(0)-50-987-1317
E-mail: cron.media@hotmail.com
 
 
 
 
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