UAE government releases workers’ rights booklet

(February 12, 2010) The government of the United Arab Emirates has issued a booklet in six languages on the rights and duties of workers. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Interior issued the booklet in Arabic, English, Filipino (Tagalog), Persian, Chinese and Urdu, to be distributed in all federal government departments, concerned NGOs, labour accommodations, and media outlets. Titled ‘The Worker: Rights and Duties’, the booklet makes UAE nationals and foreign workers aware of their rights and duties, based on the principles of justice and freedom, and explains how they can get legal redress in case of abuse, harassment and mistreatment. First and foremost, the booklet seeks to foster and enhance a culture of respect for the law and public order, describing the rights and duties workers have in conformity with the UAE constitution. Human Rights Watch has regularly documented abuses, including physical violence, harassment, unpaid wages and human rights violations at the expense of migrant workers. Approximately 17 million expatriate workers live in the Gulf region. In Dubai alone, they constitute 80 per cent of the resident population.