UAE's FNC to debate limiting unskilled expat workers, background checks

January 9, 2017 1090

Abu Dhabi: Members of the Federal National Council are set to debate on Tuesday efforts to limit the employment of limited-skill expatriate workers and to conduct security background checks.

Marwan Ahmad Bin Galita, First Deputy Speaker of the House, will put a question to Saqr Gobash Saeed Gobash, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, about the success of these efforts.

The number of registered employees at the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation reached about 4.7 million by the end of 2015, compared to 4.417 million workers in 2014, according to statistics released by the ministry.

The statistics showed the number of skilled talents in 2015 recorded an overall growth of about 12 per cent. The percentage of workers registered at the ministry with fourth and fifth skill levels (limited skill) are around 79 per cent of the total employment while the number of workers enjoying first, second and third levels (skilled) reached about one million — 21 per cent, a rate that rose upwards over the last three years. In 2013 the numbers reached about 20 per cent and in 2014 it reached about 20.5 per cent.

Around 68,000 of the new workers are employed in the health sector, recording an employment increase of about 18 per cent last year, followed by the financial sector with 57,000 employees recording an employment growth rate of 13 per cent while the education sector, which saw 79,000 jobs, had a growth rate of about 7 per cent.

Construction, trade and industry sectors were the top three sectors with highest employment rates in the labour market.

In 2011, the Cabinet decided to limit the employment of limited-skill expatriate workers and to encourage the employment of skilled workers from within the UAE based on their vocational and accredited education degrees.

As for decreasing the number of unskilled workers in the construction sector, which utilises the highest number of unskilled workers, the Cabinet instructed relevant bodies to lay down a general construction index containing a number of technical criteria that ensure developing productivity in this sector, as well as decreasing the number of unskilled workers in accordance with laws that assist contracting companies in using advanced technology.

The Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation will also be quizzed about background security checks of foreign workers.

Azza Bin Suleiman, an FNC member from Dubai, will put a question on the Etihad Rail to Dr Abdullah Bel Haif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Infrastructure Development. She will put another question to Abdul Rahman Al Owais, Minister of Health, concerning egg freezing and fertilisation.

The House will also debate an anti-dumping draft law.


Zawya