A week after Human Rights Watch sent a letter to the government criticizing abuses against migrant workers in the United Arab Emirates, the prime minister ordered the labor minister to immediately institute reforms based on our recommendations.
We released a report this month documenting serious abuses of migrant construction workers by employers in the UAE. The prime minister's decree calls for the establishment of a special court to resolve labor disputes, an increase in the number of government inspectors, requirements for employers to provide health insurance for low-skilled workers, and mandatory mechanisms enabling workers to collect unpaid wages.
