Free housing in UAE for low-paid workers

Abu Dhabi — The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has ordered employers to offer free accommodation to workers paid $545 (AED2,000) or less per month. The decision, which enters force in December, will only apply to companies that employ more than 50 workers, the human resources and Emiratisation ministry said on Monday. “Experts spent several months studying the living conditions of those workers, who have been listed in the ministry’s classifications system as low-skilled laborers,” Human Resources Minister Saqr Ghobash. The ministry will carry out regular inspections of the housing that companies provide to their workers to ensure that health and safety standards are met, Ghobash said. Legal action will be taken against companies that violate the regulations, he said. Last year, the UAE announced labour reforms aimed at curbing abuses and protecting the rights of millions of foreign workers, including allowing them to terminate their contract and change employer.