Indian government curbing contract substition for workers in the Emirates

India's minister for overseas affairs says that a plan to curb the phenomenon of contract substitution for Indian workers is in its "advanced stages".

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DUBAI // An ambitious project to curb the widespread practice of contract substitution for Indian workers is in its "advanced stages", India's minister for overseas affairs said.

Vayalar Ravi, who is also India's civil aviation minister, met with officials from the UAE Ministry of Labour on Tuesday to discuss the web-based programme.

The move is designed to protect workers from receiving a different contract upon arriving in the Emirates than the one they signed before leaving India. Contracts will be registered online in India by recruitment agents prior to the worker's departure. The information will be available to labour officials in the Emirates, as well as consular officials and the employer.

"It will capture all conditions and salaries [on the contract]," Mr Ravi said. "This document can be produced before the law ministry and insist that the employer must go by it and cannot cheat on workers."

mcroucher@thenational.ae