UAE Labour Minister Saqr Ghobash marked the International Labour Day, which falls on May 1st each year, stressing that labourers are essential partners in the production and development process in various forms in the UAE.

This came during a speech delivered on his behalf by Mubarak Saeed Al Dhahiri, under-secretary of the Ministry of Labour in a ceremony organised by the Ministry on Thursday evening at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. Maher Al Obed, assistant under-secretary for inspection affairs alongside the Ministry's staff and strategic partners attended the occasion.

"We are proud of the UAE's national cadres within the labour market, who fill many professions, especially those that require advanced skill levels. They have proven great desire and productivity in all fields," Ghobash said.

He noted that the Ministry of Labour marks the International Labour Day to reaffirm keenness in providing protection for labourers' rights while keeping interests of the employers which fall under the Ministry's strategic plans in line with the directives of the wise leadership's vision 2021.

Ghobash stressed that the Ministry of Labour is in quest to form a suitable labour market and promote participation of national manpower while protecting workers' rights, in addition to attracting qualified high-talented skills through an integrated system of standards, policies, regulatory tools and partnerships with values based on professionalism, respect for human dignity and integrity, honesty and teamwork.

During the ceremony, a number of national cadres that have achieved professional success as owners of small and medium-sized projects were honoured. They included Dr. Jaber Al-Ansari, endocrinologist consultant at Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Centre, lawyer Jameela Al Tunaiji and lawyer Mohamed Al Hadrami, as well as Abdullah al-Shammari and Saleh Amer.

Delivering a speech on behalf of the honourees at the ceremony, lawyer Mohamed Al-Hadrami said, "Stability in the labour market is founded especially in the presence of advanced legislations that contributed to the achievement of balanced relationship between employers and workers in the labour market while ensuring rights and interests of both sides, thanks to the initiatives implemented by the Ministry of Labour, including the satisfactory wage protection system WPS."

Twenty students were honoured during the ceremony after winning the art schools competition to highlight the International Labour Day, which was organised by the Ministry of Labour in cooperation with the Ministry of Education.

Winners of the marathon, which was organised by the Ministry of Labour on Thursday at Yas Circuit in Abu Dhabi with the participation of 1, 000 labourers, who raced for a distance of about five kilometres, were also honoured.

The event was part of the on-going 10-day activities and events that will run till the 10th of May to observe the Labour Day celebrations nationwide.