UAE to create job portal for Indian workers

Indians seeking work in the UAE will soon be able to apply through a new online portal designed to prevent issues like contract substitution, according to reports.

Gulf News cited Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation undersecretary and assistant for international relations and communications Dr Omar Al Nuaimi as confirming the plans.

He said the UAE system would be linked with India’s eMigrate online portal, which controls emigration of blue-collar workers, qualified nurses and sailors.

The announcement follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the UAE at the start of this week.

“This will ensure a balanced and effective management of the [workers’] contractual work cycle in accordance with the laws and regulations, which are enforced in both countries, serving the common interest,” Al Nuaimi was quoted as saying.

A joint committee will be formed to implement the MoU. This will see the UAE ministry provide India’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs with details of the available jobs in the UAE and their contractual terms.

A model job offer and job contract will eventually be available online through the system to allow applicants to review openings. This is expected to take three to four months.

A senior official at the Indian embassy in the UAE told the publication that the MoU would help to end the practice of contract substitution where agents in India promise workers a better salary and perks than the reality.

When the worker arrives in the UAE they then find a substituted contract that is legally valid takes the place of the previous contract leaving workers little chance to air their grievances.

In 2016, both countries introduced a new scheme designed to prevent these types of abuses by allowing Indian officials to verify that the contract offered to the worker is the same as that approved by the UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation.

Nearly half of the more than 2 million Indian workers in the UAE come under the blue-collar category.

Read: New measures to prevent Indian worker exploitation in the UAE

Last year, the Indian government said it would fund labour dispute cases, pay overstay fines and provide financial support to release Indian workers from jail in the UAE under a new assistance programme.

Read: Indian government to fund labour cases, pay overstay fines for nationals in UAE