MOHRE discusses challenges and opportunities with the construction industry to develop labour market services

His Excellency Dr. Abdul Rahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratization (MOHRE) and a group of executives from the Ministry met with owners and representatives of a number of construction companies as part of a program conducted by the Ministry for periodic communication with its partners in the private sector to identify the challenges faced by employers and their proposals for the services provided to them in order to facilitate business and increase the efficiency of the country's labour market .

During the meeting, His Excellency stressed that MOHRE is committed to providing the necessary support to the companies in the construction sector so that the sector can continue its strategic and national role in the country's development process in cooperation with the ministry's partners at the federal and local levels.

He said the ministry's regular meetings with employers would contribute to the development of the labour market management system, which would have a positive impact on the efficiency of the labour market, which is a major driver of the national economy.

He added that the ministry pays close attention to the results of the regular meetings and takes them into account in developing procedures to facilitate and support private sector companies to recover after COVID -19 .

The meeting was attended by Saif Al-Suwaidi, Undersecretary for Human Resources Affairs, Maher Al-Obed, Assistant Undersecretary for Inspection Affairs, Noura Al-Marzouqi, Assistant Undersecretary for Policies and Strategy, Aisha Belharfia, Assistant Undersecretary for Labour Affairs, and a number of concerned employees of the ministry.

During the meeting, the results of the national program to support labour market stability in the private sector, implemented by the Ministry in cooperation with its strategic partners, aimed at ensuring business continuity, mitigating the severity and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the labour market, and providing the necessary support to both employers and employees, were discussed.

The program included financial and administrative support packages, the launch and implementation of initiatives, in particular enabling the conclusion of an additional annex to the employment contract to facilitate both parties, early leave, the launch of the virtual labour market platform and enabling contractors to set up work accommodation at construction sites.

The meeting touched on the employment insurance scheme, which was introduced as an optional alternative to the bank guarantee, as the government wanted to reduce the financial burden on private companies and help guarantee funds deposited with banks to be released and invested by companies in improving their performance by pumping money into the labour market and providing protection for both ends of production for a period of up to 30 months for a worker at a low financial cost .

The meeting addressed the key challenges facing the construction sector and how to facilitate labour accommodation, classification of establishments, issuance of work permits and other challenges for companies operating in the sector.

During the meeting, service delivery channels and communication between the ministry and private sector businesses were discussed. These include the ministry's website, smart application, 80060 call canter and Tawseel vehicles that serve customers at their designated location and time, as well as service centers across the country.