Blue-collar workers in Dubai given training to understand their legal rights

Knowledge of health and safety increased by 70 per cent among those on government course

A committee in Dubai organises workplace campaigns and community initiatives to educate workers on their rights and laws in the UAE. Photo: Dubai Media Office

Campaigns in the workplace are improving the welfare of blue-collar workers across the Dubai labour market and widening an understanding of their legal rights.

More than 70,000 workers have benefited from a government training scheme to educate them about the UAE culture, labour and immigration laws, regulations, health and safety since a campaign was launched in 2016.

In collaboration with the Middle East Centre for Training and Development, the Permanent Committee for Labour Affairs (PCLA) in Dubai aims to broaden educational courses to other areas of employment in the months ahead.

“The committee continues to pursue workplace campaigns and community initiatives throughout the year to further improve workers’ standard of living and working,” said Maj Gen Obaid Muhair bin Suroor, chairman of the PCLA.

“We have carried out several successful initiatives throughout the years, aimed at raising the welfare and happiness of workers in Dubai.”

The PCLA has so far focused on blue-collar workers within the construction sector, the managers of companies and the supervisors of labour accommodation.

A recent survey into the effectiveness of training found awareness among workers about UAE residency and labour laws increased from 19.75 per cent to 88.63 per cent.

Knowledge of the various types of UAE government support channels also rose from 10.66 per cent to 88.3 per cent, while the percentage of correct answers on health and road safety issues increased from 19.6 per cent to 91.9 per cent.

Meanwhile, workers’ understanding of the UAE’s culture and acceptable and unacceptable behaviour increased from 23.25 per cent to 88.46 per cent.

“The training programme is based on scientific and academic criteria and is implemented according to international standards of human and labour rights protections,” said Dr Ahmed Al Hashemi, managing director of the Middle East Centre for Training and Development.

“It aims to maintain the stability of the contractual relationship between employers and workers and prevent labour rights abuses.”