Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ABUDHABI3200
2003-07-08 12:58:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:
UAE GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL ACKNOWLEDGES
how-tonull Diana T Fritz 03/21/2007 12:21:46 PM From DB/Inbox: Search Results Cable Text: UNCLASSIFIED SIPDIS TELEGRAM July 08, 2003 To: No Action Addressee Action: Unknown From: AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI (ABU DHABI 3200 - ROUTINE) TAGS: ELAB, PREL, PHUM, PGOV, SOCI, CVIS Captions: None Subject: UAE GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL ACKNOWLEDGES REALITIES OF WORKERS RIGHTS Ref: None _________________________________________________________________ UNCLAS ABU DHABI 03200 SIPDIS CXABU: ACTION: ECON INFO: P/M AMB DCM POL Laser1: INFO: FCS DISSEMINATION: ECON CHARGE: PROG APPROVED: A/DCM: KVANDEVATE DRAFTED: ECON: GARANA CLEARED: ECON: OBJOHN VZCZCADI914 RR RUEHC RUCPDOC RUEHZM DE RUEHAD #3200 1891258 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 081258Z JUL 03 FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0775 RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC RUEHZM/GCC COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS ABU DHABI 003200
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/RA, DRL AND EB/CBA
STATE PASS OPIC/OPIC INTERNATIONAL POLICY DEPARTMENT
FOR VIRGINIA GREEN AND CONSTANCE SHINN
USDOC FOR 4530/ITA/MAC/ONE/DGUGLIELMI,
4520/ITA/MAC/ONE/CLOUSTAUNAU,
4500/ITA/MAC/DAS/WILLIAMSON,
3131/CS/OIO/ANESA
SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELAB PREL PHUM PGOV SOCI CVIS TC
SUBJECT: UAE GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL ACKNOWLEDGES
REALITIES OF WORKERS RIGHTS
UNCLAS ABU DHABI 003200
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/RA, DRL AND EB/CBA
STATE PASS OPIC/OPIC INTERNATIONAL POLICY DEPARTMENT
FOR VIRGINIA GREEN AND CONSTANCE SHINN
USDOC FOR 4530/ITA/MAC/ONE/DGUGLIELMI,
4520/ITA/MAC/ONE/CLOUSTAUNAU,
4500/ITA/MAC/DAS/WILLIAMSON,
3131/CS/OIO/ANESA
SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELAB PREL PHUM PGOV SOCI CVIS TC
SUBJECT: UAE GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL ACKNOWLEDGES
REALITIES OF WORKERS RIGHTS
¶1. (U) In a newspaper interview with a local English
daily, the UAE Labor Undersecretary Dr. Khalid Al-
Khazraji declared, in response to a question about the
legality of strikes in the UAE, "The UAE labour law
has not forbidden strikes. It has not mentioned them
as it has a system for labourers to get their rights
without the need for them to organise strikes.
Labourers have rights and if they are denied them,
they can stop working." Al-Khazraji also stated in
the interview, "Regarding accusing the UAE authorities
of not offering enough protection to labourers in the
country, I think it is baseless and the ministry has
never ignored complaints by workers against their
employees. We follow the legal procedure as specified
by the law, we try to settle the dispute before
referring it to the court and finally ask the two
parties to go to the court if we fail to resolve the
issue."
¶2. (SBU) Comment: Dr. Al-Khazraji is the public face
of labor reform in the UAE -- he is quoted on an
almost daily basis in the newspapers expounding upon
Ministry initiatives. His high profile is indicative
not only of his prominence in the UAE bureaucracy but
it is also a testament to his abilities. Al-Khazraji
is well-known to the Embassy and highly regarded for
his intelligence and understanding of the complexities
of the labor issues in the UAE. Though Al-Khazraji's
statements are predictable -- a bureaucrat would never
state publicly that the government was not doing all
it could as efficiently as possible -- they are
nevertheless an accurate acknowledgement by an
important Labor official of the reality on the ground.
Workers do go on strike, and there are significant
formal and informal dispute resolution mechanisms
available to laborers. End comment.
Wahba