The Minister for Labour, Jobs and Employment, Emmanuel Kwadwo Agyekum, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a United Arab Emirates (UAE) company to facilitate the recruitment of up to 5,000 Ghanaians for jobs in Dubai.
The agreement with Masa Depan Building Maintenance L.L.C. will initially cover 500 workers, with further recruitment to be undertaken in phases based on the company’s labour requirements.
The workers are expected to be employed in construction, building maintenance and facilities management.
Under the agreement, the Ministry will coordinate recruitment in Ghana, verify employment demands and contracts, and facilitate trade testing and skills certification for prospective workers.
The Ministry will also organise pre-departure orientation to educate recruits on UAE labour laws, workplace safety and their rights as employees.
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The arrangement is intended to promote transparent recruitment, curb irregular migration practices and protect Ghanaian workers from exploitation, including abuses involving recruitment fees.
Masa Depan Building Maintenance L.L.C., represented by its managing director, Junhong Deng, will directly employ the workers and assume responsibility for their wages, accommodation, insurance and other employer obligations.
The company will also cover specified recruitment-related costs in the UAE, including visa and work permit fees, medical tests, health insurance and air tickets from Ghana to the UAE.
To protect workers’ welfare, the agreement provides for occupational safety training, protective equipment, a worker welfare officer and a grievance mechanism through which employees can raise concerns without charge or fear of retaliation.
A Joint Working Committee will also be established to monitor recruitment, employment conditions, workers’ welfare and the implementation of the agreement.
The cooperation is expected to create opportunities for skills transfer and support the reintegration of workers who return to Ghana into the country’s labour market.
Recruitment and deployment will take place in phases and in accordance with the applicable labour laws of Ghana and the UAE, as well as the existing framework for bilateral cooperation on labour mobility.
