New Levels of Protection for Domestic Workers and their Employers
The Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced yesterday that the UAE Cabinet have agreed a draft law which will protect the right of domestic workers and their employers.
The law will align the rules of the UAE with the International Labour Organisation’s Convention number 189 and Recommendation number 201 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers, which was ratified by the UAE last year. The convention provides that the employee will receive at least one day off per week, be paid in cash on a monthly basis (as a minimum) and will receive the terms of their employment in a written contract.
UAE Urged to Reform Outdated Laws
The head of the Emirates Competitiveness Council urged the UAE to speed up its economic reform and review of outdated laws if it is to be considered as a rival to leading nations.
Abdullah Lootah said that the UAE cannot “operate as a country that's aspiring to be in the top 10 with laws and policies created in the'70s, '80s and '90s." Although the UAE ranks at the top of the Middle East countries in respect of competitiveness maintaining its edge will require drastic reform on the way the laws and regulations are implemented.
Over the last few years, the UAE has made steps in the right direction. Laws protecting small businesses and the Companies law, which was updated from its 1984 version, have been implemented over recent months. The country's network of free zones had initially served to attract companies from across the world, taking international regulations as their benchmark.
But these are no longer sufficient for the large numbers of companies seeking to do business from the Emirates. Jarmo Kotilaine, the chief economist at Saudi Arabia's National Commercial Bank said that "where the UAE wants to become a world-class centre of excellence, it needs to work harder and more systematically,"
Pro Bono Work
In 2009 the DIFC Courts Set up a Pro Bono programme which addressed the ongoing need within the community for access to justice. The programme is a first of its kind in the region and ensures that every member of the community is given access to a lawyer or legal representative even when they cannot afford to pay for it.
All of the services offered as part of the Pro Bono programme, ranging from basic advice to full case management and representation in proceedings, will be delivered to eligible individuals approved by the DIFC Courts' Registry office.
We are pleased to announce that Davidson & Co have made an application to the DIFC Courts to be included on the list of firms which offer Pro Bono services. This highlights our ongoing commitments to providing professional services within the local community.
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