New unit to battle labour trafficking

The Ministry of Labour has launched a new unit to focus on combating human trafficking, it was announced yesterday.

The Combating Human Trafficking Unit will operate under the Ministry's Inspection Division and be responsible for "developing indicators that identify potential labour trafficking activity, and responding with a specialised inspection capability", it was revealed. The section will also monitor compliance with current laws and regulations governing contracting for employment.

Calling it "a pre-emptive strategic initiative", Saqr Ghobash, the Minister of Labour emphasised the important role that is expected to be played by the new unit in strengthening the stability of the labour market.

"The Ministry of Labour firmly believes that human trafficking represents a threat to the welfare and security of our society and national economy and, consequently, to the proper functioning of our labour market. It threatens the interests of workers and employers alike," he said.

"That is why we acted to establish a dedicated section in accordance with the federal government's strategy in co-ordination and full co-operation with the concerned authorities in the country, especially the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking."

While promoting a stable labour market based on the rule of law, the new section will also extend protection to the respective legitimate rights and interests of employers and workers and deploying the appropriate administrative and enforcement tools, officials said.

It will also contribute to the preparation of reports and producing draft legislation to combat labour trafficking to complement existing laws, and co-ordinate with judicial and law enforcement agencies to develop effective tools to monitor and prosecute cases that may be classified under criminal human trafficking.

"We are working on developing our inspection mechanisms to become more effective in following up the conditions of workers and to identify irregularities affecting them, under the directives of the political leadership to take on this subject of paramount importance," said Ghobash.

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