US embassy cable - 04ABUDHABI4502

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NEW UAE MINISTER OF LABOR ON DRAFT LEGISLATION

Identifier: 04ABUDHABI4502
Wikileaks: View 04ABUDHABI4502 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Abu Dhabi
Created: 2004-12-13 07:22:00
Classification: CONFIDENTIAL
Tags: ELAB ETRD PGOV TC
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
null
Diana T Fritz  12/19/2006 04:44:49 PM  From  DB/Inbox:  Search Results

Cable 
Text:                                                                      
                                                                           
      
C O N F I D E N T I A L        ABU DHABI 04502

SIPDIS
CXABU:
    ACTION: AMB
    INFO:   DCM ECON

DISSEMINATION: AMB
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: AMB:MJSISON
DRAFTED: P/E:MCARVER
CLEARED: ECON:OJOHN, DCM:RALBRIGHT

VZCZCADI363
PP RUEHC RUEHZM RUEHDE RUEHC
DE RUEHAD #4502 3480722
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 130722Z DEC 04
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7156
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 4588
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 004502 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO USTR 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2014 
TAGS: ELAB, ETRD, PGOV, TC 
SUBJECT: NEW UAE MINISTER OF LABOR ON DRAFT LEGISLATION 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR SISON FOR REASON 1.4 (B) AND (D). 
 
1. (C) On December 11, Ambassador paid her initial courtesy 
call on Dr. Ali Al Kaabi, the new UAE Minister of Labor.  NEA 
DAS Philo Dibble and Dubai Pol/Econoff accompanied. 
Ambassador asked Al Kaabi about the status of the draft UAE 
labor and trade union legislation.  Al Kaabi replied that the 
Ministry of Justice technical committee was nearing its 
review of revised labor law; he expected the drafts to be 
ready within a month.  Al Kaabi said that the UAE would 
legally protect the rights to strike and bargain 
collectively, even for foreigners working in the UAE.  He 
added that these rights would not apply to two "critical 
sectors": oil and energy.  Al Kaabi asserted the UAE's 
intention to be fully ILO compliant (while noting that the 
the USG had not ratified all of the ILO,s core labor 
conventions). 
 
2. (C) The Ambassador noted that labor questions might come 
up at USTR's January 12 open hearing on the proposed US-UAE 
FTA.  Al Kaabi acknowledged the need to move forward fast. 
"The first draft (of the labor law) is not engraved in stone 
-- let's just get it done," he said. 
 
3. (C) Al Kaabi said that his first goal at the MoL was to 
improve the level of service his employees were providing, 
including changing their mentality.  Al Kaabi, until recently 
an Offsets Group senior manager, agreed with reports that the 
new cabinet had more of a "private sector" mentality. 
SISON 

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