An Ethiopian official said the country’s government is close to lifting a ban on its nationals working in the UAE after reaching a labor agreement with authorities in the Emirates.
In July, the Ethiopian government banned women from coming to the UAE to work as maids after a series of complaints about serious physical and sexual abuse
Mesganu Arga Moach, the Ethiopian consul general in Dubai, has been a negotiator at meetings with the government and said he was happy that the agreement would provide new minimum standards for maids.
“The UAE is ready to sign and I believe it can solve the problems we have had with domestic workers,” he said. “We have many problem cases on our hands. People think it is just a few they read about but really there are many.”
The agreement came after negotiations were held in Ethiopia between the Ethiopian government, UAE foreign ministry officials and representatives of the UAE Embassy in Ethiopia.
Moach said Ethiopia also raised its “very serious concerns” about a maid in Abu Dhabi who was allegedly tortured to death by her employer. The case is currently before Abu Dhabi courts and a verdict could be delivered next month. Moach said Ethiopian diplomats are monitoring the case closely.
“We arranged for the maid’s body to be sent home, we have liaised with her family and have discussed the matter with the UAE government, so we are following up on the case,” he said.
He believes the UAE is committed to resolving issues over the treatment of maids.
“We saw recently that there was a new system for illegal workers to leave the country without being fined, so there is a real willingness on the UAE’s part to work on these issues,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Philippine ambassador to the UAE has called on employers to respect Filipino government rules and pay their domestic workers at least Dhs1,470 per month. Her call came after complaints that employers were ignoring the rules imposed by Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.
Nazret.com
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