The Dubai Airport Freezone Authority (Dafza) and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA) have jointly launched a new award to honour those companies which have made safeguarding the welfare of labourers as its top priority.

The launch of “Re'ayah" award is part of the ongoing collaborative efforts of Dafza and DSOA to provide an integrated framework aimed at safeguarding the rights, safety and wellbeing of workers in hosted companies which currently manage 33,000 employees. Of this, 17,000 are labourers.

The winning companies will be judged on various criteria including justice, transparency, creativity, innovation, health, safety and other core values which contribute effectively to protecting workers’ rights.

Re'ayah is for those have shown remarkable dedication to protecting the rights of their workers and offering a secure, fair and motivational work environment, said a senior official.

"Appreciating the workforce is an integral part of the values and principles instilled by Dubai’s wise leadership whose initiatives reflect the principle of peaceful coexistence between residents, thus paving the way for new prospects to reinforce positive cooperation amongst workers and private companies in Dubai-based freezones," stated Dr Mohammed Al Zarooni, the director general of Dafza, vice chairman and chief executive of DSOA.

According to him, Dubai’s outstanding success and excellence are highly attributed to its strict attention to details and high standards, which helps improve the efficiency and performance of private companies and their work power.

“Re'ayah" represents a significant addition to efforts aimed at consolidating Dubai’s and the UAE’s regional and international leadership in protecting labor rights in line with international laws,” he noted.

He underlined Dafza’s and DSOA’s commitment to supporting the government in its quest to improve work conditions and establish regulatory and legal frameworks for ensuring the security, safety and wellbeing of workers who are considered effective partners in the development and growth of the emirate.

"Safeguarding labour rights is among our top strategic priorities and an ethical, civilised and humanitarian commitment, emphasizing the need to comply with the directives of the wise leadership in offering the necessary means to ensure the happiness, satisfaction and wellbeing of all people, including workers," he added.

Al Zarooni said the Re'ayah awards will contribute towards encouraging the adoption of best practices in the protection of labour rights and raising the spirit of competitiveness between companies and their workers in order to reach the highest levels of excellence.

"We look forward through this award to support the growing government approach towards establishing robust foundations for achieving Dubai Plan 2021 aimed at making Dubai a preferred living and working destination, as well as reinforce the emirate’s position as a key player in defending labor rights," he added.

The companies nominated for “Re'ayah" are subject to professional assessment based on International Labour Organization standards.

The criteria are classified into three main categories: Essential Fundamentals (Labor Policies, Facilities & Infrastructure, Health & Safety, Labors Security, Recruitment & Wages), Culture & Work (Admin Resolutions & Instructions, Labors Relations, Communication & Feedback, Justice & Transparency, Creativity & Innovation) and Labor Results (Labors Perceptions, Performance Indicators).

The winners will be awarded under the large, medium and small enterprises categories and will receive platinum, gold and silver trophies. Results will be announced in May.-TradeArabia News Service