The Wall Street Journal-20080119-Charity Starts at Home- Especially for Employees
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Charity Starts at Home, Especially for Employees
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum's commentary ("Our Ambitions for the Middle East," Jan. 12), asks, "How can I help? What can I do for people?" For the migrant workers who make up over 90% of the United Arab Emirates's work pool, he can start by actually implementing his country's labor laws. By and large these are not enforced, allowing employers to get away with widespread abuse and exploitation.
He can end the exclusion of domestic workers from the law's provisions. He can revoke the laws that prohibit workers from forming unions and stop deporting those who go on strike, in violation of international human rights law and the UAE's own commitments under the International Labor Organization. And he can finally implement the country's long-standing minimum wage law, ensuring a decent living wage for all workers, some of whom earn as little as $150/month and spend several years using most of that to service unlawful recruiting debts. The UAE's economic progress is an inspiration to the region; there's no reason why its labor practices should not be as well.
Sarah Leah Whitson
Executive Director
Middle East & North Africa Division
Human Rights Watch
New York
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I enthusiastically agree that the war really worth fighting is to alleviate poverty. If this is truly Mr. al Maktoum's ambition, there must be peace in the region. The creation of the Gulf Common Market is a wonderful step in this direction. If these countries really want to accomplish the item enumerated in the article they would invite Israel to join and then they would have even greater economic power and really show the world that they want peace. With this economic power they can then force belligerent countries to make peace, and live and let live.
Boris Weiss
Boynton Beach, Fla.
