Justice bus helps workers know the law

By demystifying the process of the courts, workers will feel the law is on their side

Saqr Ghobash, the Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, visits the ICAD labour camp in Mussafah. Delores Johnson / The National

For too many people in the UAE, particularly those on lower incomes, encounters with the law and government are to be avoided. Perhaps because they have experienced bureaucracy or corruption in their home countries, or because they feel they lack the language skills, or simply because they have heard scare stories, too many are afraid of what it might mean if they go to the police or the courts.

This is both a shame for those who deserve justice and a broad impediment to a good working environment. As Saqr Ghobash, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, said during a visit to an Abu Dhabi labour camp, a stable labour environment with clear rights produces a stable workforce and a strong economy.

That’s why the double-decker bus initiative of the capital’s Judicial Department matters so much. By taking a mobile court to the site of labour disputes, the department hopes to be able to help people who might otherwise not seek help, and also demystify the process. The same idea was why Mr Ghobash went to the labour camp, to explain to workers their rights and remind employers of their obligations. The ministry has produced a series of guides to workers’ rights, in 11 languages. That shows the scale of the task and how essential it is that this sort of outreach is conducted.

This is particularly important for those on the lowest incomes. They are often among the most vulnerable, due to language skills and perhaps a modest education. Often they do not fully understand what they are entitled to, and rely on employers to give them their dues. As the cases that have come before the ministry attest, most do, but in some cases, employers have sought to play fast and loose with their rights.

By going where these workers are, the government departments, whether the Ministry of Labour or the judicial department, humanise the government. In too many poor countries, “government” is faceless and bureaucratic. By actually seeing government officials face to face, and being spoken to in a language they understand, the process is demystified.

Hopefully those workers will never need to enforce their rights, but if they do, they may feel more comfortable going to the courts, and confident that they will get a fair result. That is an essential part of any justice system: that justice is not only done but seen to be done.