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

Tags:  ELAB PREL PHUM PGOV SOCI CVIS TC 
pdf how-to read a cable
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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