Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, has set out an action plan to bolster workers' rights in the emirate and improve their terms and conditions.
He issued a law to reorganise the Sharjah Labour Standards Development Authority (SLSDA), a body he established in 2014.
The changes, reported by state news agency Wam on Monday, will include the appointment of a president responsible for shaping the strategies of the organisation and ensuring employers in the private sector meet labour standards.
The legislation lays out the authority's priorities.
These include "ensuring workers' rights and looking after the employers' interests", as well as "striving to achieve a decent life for workers and improve the terms and conditions of their life and work".
The authority's goals also include "strengthening working relationships between employers and employees and motivating them to implement labour legislation and standards" and "ensuring the availability of the required standards in accommodations following best practices".
The SLSDA president, to be appointed by decree, will be granted the power to suggest general policy, put in place strategic plans and propose draft laws which they will present to Sharjah Executive Council.
They will also be expected to supervise the workflow of the authority, issue administrative decisions and follow up on their implementation, prepare the authority's annual budget and submit periodic reports on the authority's work.
The Emirates has strict laws in place to support employees, including those on lower incomes.
In accordance with UAE law, all establishments with more than 50 workers paid less than Dh2,000 ($544) in monthly wages, must provide each worker with at least three square metres of space in a well-lit, air-conditioned and well-ventilated accommodation.
The Sharjah labour authority oversees programmes, projects, training courses and activities to support workers.
It monitors Sharjah businesses’ adherence to labour legislations in co-ordination with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation and other relevant public departments.
Since its establishment, the authority has organised several educational, medical and recreational programmes with help from other departments in the emirate and the country.
In 2018 it launched its annual sports tournament for workers, providing them with an opportunity to win up to Dh250,000 in prizes in games of football, basketball, cricket, volleyball and hockey.
Last year, it opened a recreational park in Al Sajaa industrial area for more than 100,000 workers.
Spanning 15,000 square metres, the park includes two small cricket pitches, two multipurpose fields, walking paths, green spaces, mosques, shops, cafes, mail boxes and several service rooms.
During the same year, Sharjah labour accommodations were provided with 35 libraries that include books in different languages, as part of the ‘Library in every labour camp’ campaign.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
The five pillars of Islam
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
More on Quran memorisation:
The years Ramadan fell in May
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More on Quran memorisation:
More on animal trafficking
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The years Ramadan fell in May
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
Company profile
Company: Rent Your Wardrobe
Date started: May 2021
Founder: Mamta Arora
Based: Dubai
Sector: Clothes rental subscription
Stage: Bootstrapped, self-funded
If%20you%20go
%3Cp%3E%0DThere%20are%20regular%20flights%20from%20Dubai%20to%20Addis%20Ababa%20with%20Ethiopian%20Airlines%20with%20return%20fares%20from%20Dh1%2C700.%20Nashulai%20Journeys%20offers%20tailormade%20and%20ready%20made%20trips%20in%20Africa%20while%20Tesfa%20Tours%20has%20a%20number%20of%20different%20community%20trekking%20tours%20throughout%20northern%20Ethiopia.%20%20The%20Ben%20Abeba%20Lodge%20has%20rooms%20from%20Dh228%2C%20and%20champions%20a%20programme%20of%20re-forestation%20in%20the%20surrounding%20area.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The five pillars of Islam
Read more about the coronavirus
'The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting up a Generation for Failure'
Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt, Penguin Randomhouse
South Africa squad
Faf du Plessis (captain), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen (wicketkeeper), Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada.
More coverage from the Future Forum
If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Funchal via Lisbon, with a connecting flight with Air Portugal. Economy class returns cost from Dh3,845 return including taxes.
The trip
The WalkMe app can be downloaded from the usual sources. If you don’t fancy doing the trip yourself, then Explore offers an eight-day levada trails tour from Dh3,050, not including flights.
The hotel
There isn’t another hotel anywhere in Madeira that matches the history and luxury of the Belmond Reid's Palace in Funchal. Doubles from Dh1,400 per night including taxes.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More from Neighbourhood Watch
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The five pillars of Islam
