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National labour union on the anvil: Kaabi

The union would be formed essentially by the national workforce, even though they account for only 10 per cent of the total workforce in the country, to maintain national security, Dr Ali bin Abdullah Al Kaabi, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, told Khaleej Times yesterday.

The minister said expat workers would have limited access to the union in the form of representation as associate members. The establishment of the union is for ensuring better protection to all workers, he said.

The associate members will not have the right to be nominated to the union's administrative board, but they will have the right to elect the board's members, Dr Kaabi said, adding that a certain percentage of the union membership would be allocated for the expat workers as associate members, but would not say how much this would be.

The draft proposal for the national labour union was still with the ministry and once it gives the finishing touches, it would be submitted to the Cabinet for necessary action, he said.

The ministry had submitted a draft law for the formation of union in 2003, which was expected to materialise in 2004. The current proposal was similar to the earlier one, including details of amendments to the earlier proposal, Dr Kaabi said.

The advantages and disadvantages of a labour union has been the subject of debate by a number of national academics, who agree on the need to set up a union for the protection and maintenance of rights of all workers. However, they have also stressed that the authorities concerned should take into consideration national security while setting up such a union, considering that expats are in majority in the labour market.

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