UAE Implements Law Protecting The Safety of Domestic Workers

From now on, maids, house cooks, drivers, household workers, security guards and gardeners will have their share of equal rights due to the UAE federal law that protects their safety against abusive employers, said Philippine Consul-General Paul Raymund Cortes.

The Federal National Council (FNC) passed the said draft federal law for domestic helpers just last month. The law states that domestic helpers should be granted with 30 days annual paid leave, 12-hour rest every day, and right to obtain their personal documents such as their passport.

“When laws are passed that allow people more liberties within the confines of their terms of employment, we contextualize our labor rules and regulations within the ambit of humanity and that is more certainly always a good thing,” said Cortes in an interview conducted by the Khaleej Times.

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The law will also cover cases of physical, verbal and sexual abuse towards their domestic workers.

For the past 6 months, POLO Dubai and other concerned government bodies were able to shelter 460 runaway maids. Some of the most common abuses that they encountered are physical abuse, too much work, unpaid salaries, maltreatment, verbal abuse, non-issuance of employment visa and insufficient food.

Unfortunately, the number of these OFWs were doubled, reaching to 114 in June from the previous month which only has 60 reported cases.

“There was a spike or surge in the number of runaway domestic workers during the holy month of Ramadan period. The majority just arrived one month ago, some stayed with their employers for about five days and ran away,” said Philippine Labour Attache Felicitas Bay.

Source: Filipino time