US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI1935

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 001935 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/RA, DRL AND EB/CBA 
STATE PASS OPIC/OPIC INTERNATIONAL POLICY DEPARTMENT 
FOR VIRGINIA GREEN AND CONSTANCE SHINN 
AMEMBASSY TUNIS HOLD FOR FSI: OLIVER JOHN 
USDOC FOR 4530/ITA/MAC/ONE/DGUGLIELMI, 
4520/ITA/MAC/ONE/CLOUSTAUNAU, 
4500/ITA/MAC/DAS/WILLIAMSON, 
3131/CS/OIO/ANESA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB, PREL, PHUM, PGOV, SOCI, CVIS, TC 
SUBJECT:  UAE HOPES TO IMPLEMENT LABOR UNION LAW BY 
THE END OF THE YEAR 
 
REF: ABU DHABI 941 
 
1. (SBU) UAE Labor Minister Matar Al-Tayer informed 
DCM on April 21 that the final draft of the new UAE 
labor law which permits the creation of formal labor 
associations/unions, would be sent to the inter- 
ministerial review committee by the end of the week. 
(See reftel).  The proposed legislation, permitting 
fifty or more nationals to form unions and 
associations, would then be reviewed by the cabinet 
and finally the Federal National Council.  Al-Tayer 
expects the review process to be completed by summer 
and the law to be enacted by the end of the year. 
According to the Minister, the labor law was revised 
after extensive consultation with the International 
Labour Organization and in coordination with various 
elements of UAE society. (Note: In a separate 
conversation with Econoff, Labor Undersecretary Khalid 
Al-Khazraji, hinted that the proposal might be more 
forward-leaning than originally proposed but he 
declined to give further details. End note.) 
 
2.  (SBU) Al-Tayer explained that the underlying 
premise of the new law was the "wave of the future" -- 
a demand on the part of the people to voice their 
opinions concerning their own development and well- 
being.  The right to unionize and form associations 
was thus was consonant with other efforts to provide 
greater participation in public life, such as Dubai's 
creation of elected district councils. 
 
3. (SBU) Comment: Al-Tayer's and Al-Khazraji's 
comments indicate that the UAEG is ready to proceed 
with legislation permitting the creation of labor 
unions/associations.  Elements of the UAEG clearly 
understand that such a step is necessary for a modern 
economy. Here it is worth noting that the Labor 
Ministry is a Dubai-headed organization, and thus may 
be more ambitious and progressive than other elements 
of the federal, or indeed, Emirate-level, government. 
Al-Tayer conceded that the plan must be fully vetted 
by the various layers of the UAEG bureaucracy before 
it can be implemented.  When asked by the DCM how he 
thought other governmental agencies, particularly the 
powerful Emirate-level bureaucracies, would react to 
the proposal, Al-Tayer said, "I don't know.  We 
haven't asked them yet."  End comment. 
 
Wahba