New domestic staff contract is just a start

A set contract for domestic staff is a step in the right direction but yet more needs to be done to protect some of the UAE's most vulnerable workers.

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wo recent court cases have brought issues related to domestic staff in the UAE into focus. One involved a woman who was sentenced to 15 years in prison for torturing two of her maids, leading to the death of one of them. The other concerned a maid who allegedly confessed that she had attempted to kill her sponsor's three children with a machete after her sponsor refused to cancel her visa.

There have also been concerns raised in the Federal National Council about an increase in fees set by maid-recruitment agencies. Some of these agencies, which charge as much as Dh12,000, have been accused of promising more than they subsequently deliver, including taking longer to bring in staff than they originally stated.

This shows the need to reform the system, which is why the new regulations announced by the Ministry of Interior should be welcomed.

As The National reported yesterday, the new standard work contract that came into effect on Sunday guarantees the rights of both domestic workers and their employers. Finer details of the contract remain to be determined but recruitment agencies suggest it is unlikely to entitle domestic staff to either a fixed minimum wage or a day off each week. Rather, it leaves it open for both parties to agree on these details.

While this is a step in the right direction and both sides will have more legal protection in case of dispute, more still needs to be done to protect the rights of domestic staff.

The sponsorship system and the private environment in which maids are required to work makes them vulnerable to abuse. Many of these domestic workers lack education and sophistication, and may have little understanding of their rights, even if those rights are documented in a contract. That is further exacerbated by their isolation.

The absence of a unified minimum wage, set working hours and mandatory time off each week for all nationalities allows unscrupulous sponsors to exploit some domestic workers. The new contract is understood to require employers to honour the minimum wage set by the Philippines Embassy – US$400 (Dh 1,469) per month – for Filipinos, but not for domestic staff of other nationalities.

What we are seeing here is only the beginning of moves towards a better-regulated system. It is important that process is completed.