India signs MoU with UAE for better deal to workers

New Delhi, Dec 13 (UNI) Aimed at ensuring protection and welfare of Indian emigrant workers and regulate the functioning of recruiting agents, India today signed a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the field of manpower with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi and UAE Labour Minister Dr Ali Bin Abdullah Al-Ka' Abi signed the MoU, the first agreement on manpower to be signed by the Emirates.

Mr Ravi told mediapersons that a Joint Committee consisting of three members from each country would implement the MoU which will be valid for four years and shall automatically extend by another four years each time thereafter.

Dr Abi said the MoU would help break the role of the middlemen in the recruitment process. "There is a mafia of manpower sending agents in India and receiving agents in the UAE. WE want to kills this mafia," he said.

He said the new agreement would go a long way in protecting the interests of Indian emigrant workers who constitute 60 per cent of the work force in the Emirates.

Dr Abi said Indian workers had been helping to build the UAE.

He said several reforms were introduced on the labour front in his country in keeping with the philosophy that "happy worker will give excellent results." Mr Ravi said the MoU would provide for facilitation of manpower recruitment and mutual sharing of information and experience. It makes it mandatory that recruitment should be in conformity with the laws of both countries.

He said the government would soon bring forward a bill to amend the Indian Emigration Act of 1983 to provide more teeth to the law to take on the erring recruiting agents and ensure protection of the Indian workers taking up jobs abroad.

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