Kathmandu, April 30:

International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) has said that the United Arab Emirates has committed rights abuse against migrant workers, who constitute about 95 per cent of the working force in private sector.

A new ICFTU report on core labour standards has been prepared to coincide with the UAE’s trade policy review at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) this week. The report has revealed that migrant workers in sectors like construction, cleaning and house maids are in vulnerable condition and often become prey of such abuses.

An interesting fact to note is that a total number of migrant workers in the UAE outstrips its total population. It hosts foreign migrant workers mainly from Asian countries including India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and the Philippines. According the department of labour and employment promotion, currently about 60,000 Nepali workers are in UAE, mostly construction workers, cleaners and maids.

Despite the fact the UAE has ratified both the ILO Conventions against discrimination, violations of migrant workers’ fundamental rights are a persistent phenomenon in the UAE. Abuses committed against migrant workers include non-payment of wages, extended working hours without overtime compensation and unsafe working environments resulting in death and injury, states the report.

In addition, the report highlights that the UAE has not ratified the core ILO Conventions protecting trade union rights. Under the current legislation trade unions are not allowed for either migrant workers or UAE nationals, and collective bargaining is not recognised. The government has announced a new law allowing unions, including in the construction sector, to be in place by the end of the year 2006.

“It is crucial that this new law be consistent with ILO core Conventions 87 and 98,” said Guy Ryder, ICFTU general secretary, “In particular it is essential that foreign workers be allowed to join a union which is free to decide its own structures, and is fully respected in the new legislation,” added Ryder. The report expresses serious concern about the persistence of the worst forms of child labour in the UAE. While the government has recently taken some initiatives to address the issue of young children working as camel jockeys, much remains to be done to put an end to these practices.

It also highlights the problems of human trafficking, which the government has failed to address.