The UAE has attained advanced positions in terms of labour market efficiency ranking fifth in the ‘Global Competitive Report of 2010’ issued by World Economic Forum (WEF), said a top government official.
The report, which covers 139 countries, has attributed the UAE’s advancement in this field to the efficiency and flexibility of labour market, employment of qualified nationals, enhancement of professional code of ethics, in addition to other indicators.
With respect to labour market efficiency pillar, the country is ranked 5th in the world for retaining national qualified manpower, 7th in flexibility of wage determination, 10th in professional code of ethics which stresses upon measurement of workforce productivity vis-à-vis working hours and 17th on flexibility mechanisms governing hiring and firing.
The report, issued annually by the WEF, assesses the competitiveness of each country on the basis of certain indicators organized into 12 pillars, each of which represents an area considered as an important determinant of competitiveness.
These pillars include: reports issued by international organizations, the infrastructure, macroeconomic environment, health and primary education, higher education and training, financial markets development, technological readiness, market size, goods market efficiency, business sophistication, innovation besides the labor market efficiency.
Commenting on the findings, Saqr Gubbash, UAE Labour Minister, said: “The advanced positions attained by the UAE reflects the political leadership’s vision for providing a stable labour market based on the realization of a balanced relationship between the rights and responsibilities of the bilateral production process i.e. workers and employers.’
“The Wage Protection System (WPS), which has been in implementation since September, 2009 is considered as one of the major components of the aforementioned policies, as it protects workers rights of salary payment on time and without any undue deductions, and it also has positive implications on the employers,” said the WEF report.
The guidelines for labour housing, approved by the UAE cabinet last year, is also seen as an important initiative aiming at providing protection for workers, through offering a suitable lodging as per international standards that guarantees health and occupational safety, as in the case of prohibiting work in the afternoon of the summer months, which in turn helped in providing more protection to workers and enhancement of productivity.
