The prime minister of the United Arab Emirates ordered on Tuesday sweeping measures to protect the rights of thousands of foreign labourers working in the UAE, most of them from south Asia.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum ordered Labour Minister Ali al-Kaabi to "take all necessary steps to organise the affairs of foreign workers ... and to assure them of all the conditions of health, security and a dignified life, both in their places of residence and at work," the official WAM news agency reported.
The measures would include the adoption of a system of health insurance for all categories of workers "guaranteeing them care and all the health and medical benefits equivalent to other sectors of society," WAM said.
Sheikh Mohammed is also emir of booming Dubai, the scene of several protests by disgruntled foreign labourers, particularly over unpaid wages.
He also called for an "efficient and binding mechanism" to ensure that workers receive their wages with a delay of no more than two months and to change jobs if they wish.
He also ordered the creation of a special court for worker complaints and of an inspectorate to monitor "application of humanitarian laws and regulations in force in the emirates, as well as the protection and defence of the rights and dignity of foreign workers."