Taqdeer Award organised its second awareness campaign focussed on labour intensive companies in free zones and factories in Dubai, alongwith construction companies, with participation from more than 60 company representatives.
The Award Committee is organising a series of awareness workshops wherein participants are given details on the objectives of the award, alongwith the requirement criteria and procedural details to participate in the 2nd edition of the award.
Taqdeer Award has been launched in line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE’s Vice President Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to ensure the happiness and welfare of the people of Dubai regardless of religion or nationality and realise Dubai’s vision of becoming one of the world’s best places to work and live.
Launched under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, Taqdeer the world’s first points-based reward system for recognizing excellence in labour welfare practices and seeks to promote international best practices in labour welfare.
Major General Obaid Muhair Bin Suroor, Deputy Director General of General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai and Chairman of the Taqdeer Award, said: “After extending the award to include free zones and factories, we are focussing on intensive awareness campaign to prepare all companies to implement the established rules and regulations and international standards in labour welfare. We received a tremendous response for participation last year with more than 200 companies expressing interest. Now we are expecting the number of participants to double in the second cycle of the award.”
The participants said extending the award would extend the benefits of participation such as implementing international standards, enhancing efficiencies, improving employer and worker relationship, and increasing their competitiveness, to a larger number of companies.
Binu Roy Mathews, HR & IWAY Manager, Emirates Logistics Company, said: “Extending the award to free zone companies is a remarkable step as it brings more companies together. The award is a great initiative as it will not only help companies learn about the international benchmarks but also about the best practices being implemented here.”
Ruben John, Assistant Manager HR, from Al Jihan Gulf Horizon General Contracting said: “Our company got four-star rating last year. The ratings, which are given after a thorough evaluation, are very useful as they help companies understand where they stand in terms of implementing the rules and regulations as well as on an international level.”
Veeda D’Souza, Executive HR & Administration, CWTSML Logistics, said: “Our company has put strong security practices in place and we have received a highly positive feedback. By participating in Taqdeer Award we are looking at setting industry benchmarks in the practices that we have implemented.”
The points based reward system will evaluate companies on the basis of Enablers, which include essential fundamentals such as labour policies, occupational health; and cultural and work environment factors such as communication, creativity and innovation, rules and regulations; as well as results based on labour perceptions and performance indicators.
Companies which get four and five-star rating will be given priority in awarding government projects.