Filipinos working in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) stand to benefit from multilingual booklets published by the government that detail the rights of migrant workers there. A recent report published on UAE-based news site Khaleej Times said the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior released the booklet. Titled “The Worker: Rights and Duties,” the booklet is the first worker's pocketbook and will be issued in six languages: Arabic, English, Filipino or Tagalog, Persian, Chinese, and Urdu. Lt. Col. Salah Al-Gul, director of Office of Culture of Respect for Law, said the book will be distributed to all federal government departments, concerned NGOs, labor accommodations, and media outlets. He said the booklet explains the rights and responsibilities of the worker, and spreads awareness among individuals about their rights and duties towards community and the state. The booklet seeks to foster and heighten the culture of respecting the law and public order, features rights and duties of the worker in pursuance of laws conforming with the UAE constitution. “The UAE lends great attention to workers' rights according to Article 20 of UAE Constitution which says Society shall esteem work as a cornerstone of its development. Legislation must uphold the rights of workers and employers consistent with advanced international standards,” he said. He added that under the UAE constitution, “Every citizen shall be free to choose his occupation, trade or profession within the limits of law.
