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Diana T Fritz  05/24/2007 04:33:01 PM  From  DB/Inbox:  Search Results

Cable 
Text:                                                                      
                                                                           
      
UNCLASSIFIED

SIPDIS
TELEGRAM                                           April 13, 2003


To:       No Action Addressee                                    

Action:   Unknown                                                

From:     AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI (ABU DHABI 1754 - ROUTINE)         

TAGS:     ELAB, PREL, PHUM, PGOV, SOCI, CVIS                     

Captions: None                                                   

Subject:  LABOR ATTACHES PAINT A RELATIVELY ROSY PICTURE OF LOCAL
           LABOR CONDITIONS                                      

Ref:      None                                                   
_________________________________________________________________
UNCLAS        ABU DHABI 01754

SIPDIS
CXABU:
    ACTION: ECON 
    INFO:   P/M AMB DCM POL 
Laser1:
    INFO:   FCS 

DISSEMINATION: ECON
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: DCM: RAALBRIGHT
DRAFTED: ECON: GARANA
CLEARED: ECON: TEWILLIAMS

VZCZCADI328
RR RUEHC RUCPDOC RUEHZM RUEHTU RUEHNE RUEHKA
RUEHLM RUEHML
DE RUEHAD #1754/01 1031004
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 131004Z APR 03
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9379
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUEHZM/GCC COLLECTIVE
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 0497
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1037
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 0180
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 0083
RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA 0480

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001754 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/RA, DRL AND EB/CBA 
STATE PASS OPIC/OPIC INTERNATIONAL POLICY DEPARTMENT 
FOR VIRGINIA GREEN AND HARVEY HAMBURG 
AMEMBASSY TUNIS HOLD FOR FSI: OLIVER JOHN 
USDOC FOR 4530/ITA/MAC/ONE/DGUGLIELMI, 
4520/ITA/MAC/ONE/CLOUSTAUNAU, 
4500/ITA/MAC/DAS/WILLIAMSON, 
3131/CS/OIO/ANESA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB PREL PHUM PGOV SOCI CVIS TC
SUBJECT:  LABOR ATTACHES PAINT A RELATIVELY ROSY 
PICTURE OF LOCAL LABOR CONDITIONS 
 
REF: A) ABU DHABI 941 
 
     B) ABU DHABI 1090 
     C) ABU DHABI 1204 
     D) ABU DHABI 1240 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary and comment: In conversations with 
the Indian, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan and Filipino Labor 
Attaches, Econoff was repeatedly told that the vast 
majority of labor disputes in the UAE between foreign 
nationals and Emirati businesses and institutions are 
generally handled on an informal level with the 
assistance of the various embassies.  When informal 
processes fail, the embassies guide workers to formal 
government channels for dispute resolution.  According 
to the Labor Attaches, existing formal and informal 
mechanisms result in most labor disputes involving 
foreign nationals in the UAE being settled amicably. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Summary and comment (con't):  The Labor 
Attaches have a vested interest in painting a rosy 
scenario to make themselves look good. Their anecdotes 
of diligent efforts and successes on behalf of their 
clients reflect admirably on themselves. All of these 
embassies also desire to promote a continuing inflow 
of laborers from their native lands, to help ease 
unemployment back home, and to generate needed foreign 
exchange. Thus they have a tendency to emphasize the 
good and minimize the bad in regards to labor 
disputes.  While, the administrative and legal 
processes may be relatively fair, they are also 
extremely time-consuming and difficult.  Most workers 
have neither the time, nor patience for such 
protracted proceedings. Nonetheless, even with these 
caveats, the consistency of the Labor Attaches' upbeat 
assessments of the dispute resolution processes 
demonstrates that the informal grievance system does 
appear to work relatively well -- when a matter is 
brought to the attention of the Labor Attaches. The 
UAEG is also in the process of enacting legislation 
that will institutionalize workers' rights and bring 
the formal system closer in line to international 
standards. (See refs A-D).  End summary and comment. 
 
THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF LABOR IN THE UAE 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶3. (U) The UAE economy is highly dependent on foreign 
skilled and unskilled workers.  More than 80 percent 
of the estimated population of 3.9 million is 
expatriate, and approximately 63 percent of the total 
population is non-Arab Asian.  Only about 10 percent 
of the workforce is Emirati, a number that decreases 
to only 2 percent in the private sector. The vast 
majority of unskilled laborers in the UAE come from 
five countries: Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka 
and the Philippines. 
 
INFORMAL DISPUTE RESOLUTION 
--------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (U) Laborers most commonly complained of poor 
working conditions and not receiving wages, and 
expatriate domestic servants complained of abuse. 
Workers are protected by a comprehensive UAE Labor Law 
that regulates all facets of labor relations.  (Note: 
This law does not cover domestic servants. Laborers do 
not technically have the right to strike, but work 
stoppages/strikes are not uncommon in the UAE and the 
federal government is in the process of formalizing 
legislation to institutionalize unions. End note.)  In 
January 2003, a new law was enacted requiring sponsors 
and domestic servants to adhere to a contract system, 
specifying the rights and duties of each party to the 
other.  Under this legislation, sponsors will be under 
the same obligations as other employers, and domestic 
servants will have the right to complain to the Labour 
Disputes Section of the Ministry of Labour. 
 
¶5. (SBU) According to the Labor Attaches, workplace 
disputes are generally resolved directly between the 
employee and the employer. (Note: This is also the 
first recommended course of action in the UAE Labor 
Law. End Note.)  If troubles persist, laborers will 
ask their embassy for assistance.  (Note: Due to the 
large Filipino population in the UAE, the Philippines 
Embassy and Consulate receive 200-250 calls or walk- 
ins per week.  The Sri Lankans reported about 150 
cases weekly, the Bangladeshis about 100/weekly and 
the Indians could not provide an estimate.  End note.) 
Once the worker reports an incident, the Labor Attache 
contacts the employer on behalf of the worker and 
tries to resolve the situation amicably.  In a recent 
example, food workers at the UAE University in Al Ain 
complained to the Philippines Embassy that they had 
not been paid.  The Labor Attache in turn contacted 
university officials and learned the federal 
government had not properly disbursed the funds for 
salaries. She then called the appropriate individuals 
in the government and resolved the situation.  The 
Labor Attache stated that this anecdote was typical of 
how labor disputes are traditionally handled in the 
UAE. 
 
FORMAL DISPUTE RESOLUTION 
------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) When informal methods fail to resolve labor 
problems, the UAE Labor Law does provide for 
administrative and legal relief. Generally, a case is 
first filed with the Labor Disputes Section of the 
Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and then, as a 
last resort, brought before the civil courts. (Note: 
Though the Philippines Embassy gets a large number of 
calls and walk-ins, the Labor Attache estimated that 
there are only about 20 cases presently in the legal 
system). Outside of the Philippines Embassy, none of 
the Labor Attaches had an accurate count of the cases 
before the administrative and legal systems.  They all 
agreed, however, that even though the process took 
some time, it was generally fair and the court system 
in particular was extremely competent. 
 
Wahba