Dubai labour

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What is Dubai doing about Article 25 of the UAE Constitution? Tagged as the map that gets updated every day, Dubai is known as a pace setter for cities and countries all over Middle East and beyond. She boasts the first seven star hotel, flags the tallest building, commissions the largest airport and flexes the biggest mall but one thing that blemishes this glamorous map and needs to be removed is what I term “National Nepotism”. Unlike Emiratization which gives necessary recognition and advantages to Emiratis which I am vividly in support of, nationality nepotism favours some foreign national over others in terms of organization ladder, salary scale and even interpretation of the labour law. As a cosmopolitan city with over 202 nationalities as at 2006, according to the Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, Dr Khalid Al Khazraji, it is imperative to create a labour platform based strictly on merit and competence rather than nationality status. The mentality of inducing nationalities of developed countries with upper level positions, better salaries and benefits without recourse to merit or competence but just to serve the image of a company is not only archaic but also glorifies societal mediocrity at the highest order. Worse still is that such an uncharitable act has no basis in

Transcript of Dubai labour

Page 1: Dubai labour

What is Dubai doing about Article 25 of the UAE Constitution?

Tagged as the map that gets updated every day, Dubai is known as a pace setter for cities and countries all over Middle East and beyond. She boasts the first seven star hotel, flags the tallest building, commissions the largest airport and flexes the biggest mall but one thing that blemishes this glamorous map and needs to be removed is what I term “National Nepotism”.

Unlike Emiratization which gives necessary recognition and advantages to Emiratis which I am vividly in support of, nationality nepotism favours some foreign national over others in terms of organization ladder, salary scale and even interpretation of the labour law.

As a cosmopolitan city with over 202 nationalities as at 2006, according to the Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, Dr Khalid Al Khazraji, it is imperative to create a labour platform based strictly on merit and competence rather than nationality status. The mentality of inducing nationalities of developed countries with upper level positions, better salaries and benefits without recourse to merit or competence but just to serve the image of a company is not only archaic but also glorifies societal mediocrity at the highest order. Worse still is that such an uncharitable act has no basis in developed worlds where the beneficiaries emanated from.

To eradicate this uncivilized norm, the Labour Ministry needs to sanitize the labour market by creating a department where undue favouritism can be reported with investigation and attending penalties for culprits. In addition, aside from international posting by multinational companies, visa application should be backed by employee dossier and certificates. Such a development will empower the authority to create checks and balances in situations when an individual with less qualification and no local or regional experience is placed on a higher position or better salary scale without any cogent reason but for nationality.

On the parts of companies, they should be willing to adopt “equal opportunities employer” status with a succession and promotion plan, compensate efficiency and commitment rather than inducing hypocrisy. This will not only breed healthy competition but also translates to a better image and reputation as round pegs are put in round holes. A phenomenon whereby employee in the same

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position earn different salary in accordance with country of origin or whereby a superior is brought in only to be trained by the subordinate does not just create animosity in the work place or hinders retainment of staff but it also serves as an insult to humanity at its evolving rate.

Finally, individuals and environment at large should purge itself of stereotyping and prejudgement but should imbibe the culture of individualism. Needful is for everyone to know that intelligence or capability is not based on where a person comes from but on training and experience one has acquired.

"O Mankind! We have created you from a male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honourable of you in the sight of Allah is he who has most taqwa among of you. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware." (Quran 49:13)