The Standing Committee on Labor Issues (PCLA) in Dubai confirmed its commitment to cooperate with private and public organizations to consolidate the efforts of the UAE and Dubai to implement a progressive labor policy that takes into account the best world practices.
Major General Obeid Muhair Bin Surur, Deputy Director General of the General Directorate for Residents and Foreigners in Dubai (GDRFA-Dubai) and Chairman of the PCLA, said that the Committee continues to conduct workplace campaigns and community initiatives throughout the year to further improve the standard of living and work of workers in accordance with the Dubai Strategy to Establish new standards in the field of labor protection. "Over the years, we have implemented several successful initiatives aimed at improving the well-being and happiness of workers in Dubai," Bin Surur said.
The Chairman of the PCLA spoke about the employee awareness and training program, a project that the Committee presented in 2016 in cooperation with the Middle East Training and Development Center. As part of this program, aimed at ensuring that employees know their rights and responsibilities, more than 70,000 employees have been trained to date. It covers a wide range of topics, including UAE culture, Labor and immigration laws and regulations, health and safety, and government aid channels.
Preliminary results of recent surveys conducted by PCLA demonstrate a significant increase in the knowledge of employees on all the topics covered. Employees' awareness of residence and labor laws in the UAE increased from 19.75% before the start of training to 88.63% upon completion. Knowledge of various types of UAE government support channels increased from 10.66% to 88.3%, while the percentage of correct answers on health and road safety issues increased from 19.6% to 91.9%. The understanding of UAE culture workers and acceptable and unacceptable behavior increased from 23.25% to 88.46%.
Abdullah Lashkari Mohammad, Secretary General of the PCLA, noted that during the COVID-19 crisis, the Committee supported workers in overcoming the consequences of the pandemic by adapting the program. The campaign content has been translated into several languages to meet the needs of Dubai's multilingual workforce. After the virus has been localized, the program continues to raise awareness about health and safety, as well as about labor rights. It is offered in four languages: English, Arabic, Urdu and Hindi.
Dr. Ahmed Al-Hashemi, a consultant at the PCLA and managing director of the Middle East Center for Learning and Development, said: "The training program is based on scientific and academic criteria and is implemented in accordance with international standards for the protection of human rights and labor rights. It is aimed at maintaining the stability of contractual relations between employers and employees and preventing violations of labor rights."
Until now, the PCLA has focused on blue-collar workers in the construction sector and targeted company managers and workplace supervisors. The Committee is also focused on training delivery sector workers and plans to reach broader categories of workers over the next few years.
Bin Surur also spoke about another initiative put forward by the Committee earlier this year, which includes distributing free meals to workers every Friday. The campaign was launched in cooperation with its strategic partner, the Beit Al Khair Society Charitable Foundation and the Dubai Charitable Association, a charity and humanitarian aid agency. The number of free lunches distributed by PCLA in cooperation with its partners on Fridays exceeded 65,000. More such initiatives are planned to be implemented in cooperation with the private sector.
Abdullah Lashkari, Secretary General of the PCLA, added that the Committee has prepared a comprehensive plan for the distribution of free meals in all areas of work in cooperation with the private sector. He said that the PCLA prioritizes the interests of employees and strives to implement best labor practices that protect workers' rights.
WAM
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