Unskilled workers cap may be passed

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A six-year residency cap on unskilled expatriate workers may soon come into effect.

A six-year residency cap on unskilled expatriate workers that has been under consideration for the past three years may soon be enforced.

The new measure will depend on the outcome of a meeting between GCC labour ministers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, next month.

"The plan was not the idea of the Indian Government but of the UAE government," said Vayalar Ravi, the Indian minister for overseas affairs.

"We are waiting for a decision to be made before reacting on it. But the cap, which would be for three years and then renewable for another three years, is applicable only to unskilled workers."

Bahrain Labour Minister Majeed Al-Alawi announced the proposed cap in early October, saying that it was necessary to stop the erosion of local culture and to stem soaring unemployment among nationals.

"We have no idea why this proposal has come about. But it's not going to affect us as the number of unskilled workers coming from India to the Gulf is on the decline," said Talmiz Ahmad, Indian Ambassador to the UAE.

"The majority of Indian workers now coming here fall into the semi-skilled and skilled categories. We are also discouraging unskilled workers who do have proper documentation from taking up jobs in the Gulf. Also, how many workers actually stay in the region for more than six years?"

The six countries that make up the GCC - the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait - are hugely dependent on foreign workers, the vast majority of which are unskilled workers in the construction sector.

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READERS' COMMENTS

Unskilled Labour Deportation
Posted by Hussain Motabagani, Khobar, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday 31 October 2007 at 01:00 UAE time

I believe the "unskilled" parameter should be defined clearly. I support the bill here in KSA, it's true we have countless unskilled expats. Most in the construction industry. However there are those who are brought into the kingdom and then let loose by their sponsors and run rampant in the streets and eventually end up as illegal aliens, you can find them at traffic lights selling items. A fair number are involved in organized crime. So the decision to have them here for 6 years is a fair amount of time. And with regard to Nishath's comment, this should be reason enough to push for locals to get up there in ladders and install wiring and ducts. The reason no one wants to is because the pay is feeble, as again due to the absence of minimum wage systems and labour and union laws etc.

CAP on unskilled Workers
Posted by Majeed on Monday 29 October 2007 at 08:00 UAE time

Are we aware of the definition of unskilled workers and who falls into this category? Everybody in the GCC countries is employed for a reason, ie. either for their skills or out of sheer necessity by either the individuals or the companies. If the GCC countries decide to replace the employees - let it happen. What will probably happen is shifting of working place for these so called unskilled employees from one GCC country to another GCC country.

Cap on unskilled workers
Posted by Nishanth, Dubai, UAE on Sunday 28 October 2007 at 18:00 UAE time

Sometimes, I completely fail to understand certain decisions by the Government. Cap is expected to reduce local unemployment? I can't imagine a day when a local national will climb up the building to install glass or electrical wire! Expats have been in the Middle East for 4-5 decades now and how has it affected cultural erosion? Expats live in their own little cocoon of life hardly affecting anything for locals or other nationals, who have their own world too.

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