Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ABUDHABI1159
2007-07-12 07:59:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:  

UAEG TO STUDY U.S., GERMAN TEMPORARY WORKER PROGRAMS

Tags:  ELAB PHUM PREL ETRD AE 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO0262
RR RUEHDE RUEHDIR
DE RUEHAD #1159 1930759
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 120759Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9334
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC
C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 001159 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP, EB/TPP, G/TIP, AND DRL/IL
STATE PLEASE PASS TO USTR FOR SDONNELLY, LKARESH, DBELL, AND
AROSENBERG

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: 07/12/2017
TAGS: ELAB PHUM PREL ETRD AE
SUBJECT: UAEG TO STUDY U.S., GERMAN TEMPORARY WORKER PROGRAMS


CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR MICHELE J. SISON FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 001159

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP, EB/TPP, G/TIP, AND DRL/IL
STATE PLEASE PASS TO USTR FOR SDONNELLY, LKARESH, DBELL, AND
AROSENBERG

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: 07/12/2017
TAGS: ELAB PHUM PREL ETRD AE
SUBJECT: UAEG TO STUDY U.S., GERMAN TEMPORARY WORKER PROGRAMS


CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR MICHELE J. SISON FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) Summary: On July 4, Econoff met with Alex Zalamy, Advisor to
the UAE Minister of Labor, to discuss guest workers and the changes
being made to the current labor law to help protect foreign workers.
Zalamy explained that foreign workers are "temporary" workers, not
"immigrant" workers and stressed to Econoff that the USG must
understand the UAEG's oft-stated position that labor is an issue of
"national security." Zalamy also told Econoff that he is planning a
trip to Washington and Berlin in November to meet with labor
officials and study the guest worker programs in those countries.
End Summary.

Workers -- Temporary, Not Permanent Immigrants
-------------- -


2. (C) Zalamy explained that expatriate workers in the UAE are
temporary workers, not immigrant workers, since foreigners are not
permitted to immigrate, regardless of how many years they have been
working in the country. Once a foreign worker retires, he is not
allowed to remain in the UAE and must return to his home country.
Econoff stressed to Zalamy that workers are entitled to fundamental
rights and freedoms, such as the right to form unions and collective
bargaining. Zalamy said that the proposed new labor law is currently
on hold and the Ministry of Labor (MOL) is seeking ways to reach a
compromise with all sides on the issues of labor unions and
collective bargaining. According to Zalamy, the MOL will invite
certain stakeholders to an "invitation only" meeting to discuss these
issues and hopefully reach a compromise. Zalamy also said, "Many
private Emiratis as well as certain UAEG Ministries do not want to
allow unions or collective bargaining, even though the MOL believes
some form of unionization is necessary." He stated that the UAE may
decide to follow the German approach on guest-workers, which would
offer temporary workers certain rights although not full trade union
membership.

Ministry of Labor Visit to Washington and Berlin
-------------- ---


3. (C) Zalamy told Econoff that he is planning to visit Washington,
along with a team of five colleagues, during the first week of
November 2007. The purpose of the visit is to familiarize the MOL
team with the legal, regulatory and administrative framework that
governs the admission and temporary residence of guest workers in the
U.S. and in Germany. The UAE team wants to learn more about the
rights of foreign workers in the U.S., and the UAE wants to perfect
technical means for ensuring that its foreign workers are not allowed
to remain in the UAE after their contracts have ended. The MOL team
will meet with a variety of USG agencies, NGOs, and labor unions
during their trip; the team has already begun coordinating its trip
with USTR and the Department of Labor.


4. (C) After the trip to Washington, D.C., the MOL team will visit
Berlin for a similar week-long program with the German Ministry of
Labor. The UAE MOL hopes to be able to devise a comprehensive labor
law that will provide some rights and protections for guest workers
in the UAE by December 2007, when the UAE will host the International
Organization for Migration meeting in Dubai. Until then, Zalamy
believes the labor law will remain "in limbo" and does not expect a
new labor law will be released before December 2007.


5. (C) Comment: The issue of foreign workers is a contentious one in
the UAE. The UAE's local population of less than one million (out of
four million-plus residents) is too small to support the rapid
development seen over the last several years, but Emiratis are
increasingly concerned about the significant demographic imbalance in
the country. In fact, UAE Vice President/Ruler of Dubai Sheikh
Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum sharply criticized the Ministry of
Labor in April for failing to rectify "the population imbalance" when
he unveiled the UAEG's new government strategy. End Comment.

SISON