Public sector employees in Sharjah will be allowed to take paid leave to undertake volunteer work, officials have said.
The announcement came following a decision by Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Crown Prince of the emirate.
Between March and May this year, 486 government employees in Sharjah spent more than 15,000 hours volunteering at 37 separate initiatives.
The opportunities were organised by the Sharjah Volunteer Centre and the emirate’s Volunteering Committee.
A further 1,900 people have also registered with officials to volunteer their time.
“During a crisis like Covid-19, the need for support by community members specialising in certain areas becomes all the more significant,” said Afaf Al Marri, head of social services in Sharjah.
“It’s also important to educate the public and encourage them to participate actively by providing them with opportunities.”
UAE SQUAD
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zawar Farid, Ghulam Shabber, Ahmed Raza, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Chirag Suri , Zahoor Khan
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
The Book of Collateral Damage
Sinan Antoon
(Yale University Press)
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The Way It Was: My Life with Frank Sinatra by Eliot Weisman and Jennifer Valoppi
Hachette Books
