By Samir Salama
Associate Editor
Gulf News,  May 2, 2012

Domestic workers get more protection from exploitation
Bill seeks to regulate employer-employee contract as per international rules

Abu Dhabi: In a bid to ensure decent working and living conditions for a population that outnumbers family members in nearly a quarter of Emirati families, a new draft law seeks to regulate the domestic worker industry in line with international standards.

The draft law aligns the UAE’s rules with the International Labour Organisation’s Convention 189 and Recommendation 201 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers, which was ratified by the UAE last year.

The bill, approved by the UAE Cabinet in January, must now be passed by the Federal National Council and signed into law by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

According to a copy of the bill obtained by Gulf News, domestic workers should receive a written contract of employment and end-of-service gratuity. Significantly, the bill makes it incumbent on the employer to pay recruitment agency fees. It also guarantees payment in cash at least once a month and at least one weekly day off.