The Decent Work Taskforce
Co-convened by UN Global Compact Network UAE and The Climate Consultancy
Decent work is where responsible business becomes visible in practice.
Most companies operating in the UAE have worker welfare policies. What those commitments look like at contractor level, during a crisis, across a multi-tier supply chain, is a different question.
TCC co-convenes the Decent Work Taskforce to help businesses move from broad labour commitments to practical worker protection: building shared standards, co-developing tools, and creating a peer-informed space where companies can be honest about what they are facing.
Why this matters now?
Migrant workers make up approximately 90% of the UAE's private sector workforce, many of them employed through multi-tier supply chains where the distance between a corporate commitment and a site-level practice is considerable.
Escalating regional tensions have created direct operational disruption for businesses across the UAE. Furloughs, repatriation pressure, restricted mobility, and information gaps are compounding vulnerability in sectors including hospitality, construction, and facilities management, with the risks falling hardest on those with the least ability to absorb them.
~90% of UAE private sector workforce are migrant workers
The regulatory pressure is growing
The EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive creates binding human rights due diligence obligations for large companies operating globally, extending scrutiny directly into UAE supply chains. Companies with EU market exposure, European parent companies, or global reporting commitments are increasingly required to evidence their supply chain practices.
Despite strong frameworks in the UAE, including MOHRE's Wage Protection System, heat stress protections, and formal grievance mechanisms, implementation gaps persist at contractor and sub-contractor levels.
The Taskforce exists to address the gap between policy intent and operational reality.
Core Pillars of Decent Work
Productive and Fair Income
Advancing fair compensation, wage compliance, sector wage transparency, and supplier wage expectations.
Health and Safety Standards
Embedding robust health and safety systems, heat stress risk management, worker mental health, and crisis safety protocols.
Sustainable Procurement
Embedding decent work standards in procurement decisions, supplier capacity building, and social criteria in contracts.
Ethical Employment Standards
Responsible recruitment, elimination of worker-paid fees, access to remedy, and protection of migrant workers.
How the Taskforce works
The Decent Work Taskforce is a confidential, peer-informed platform. Companies share real operational challenges, co-develop practical tools, and hold themselves collectively accountable. Sessions operate under the Chatham House Rule. Member data is governed by the UAE Personal Data Protection Law and, where applicable, GDPR.
The Taskforce is grounded in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the ILO Decent Work Agenda, translating international standards into action that is relevant to the UAE context.
Chatham House Rule
Business-led
UN Guiding Principles
UAE PDPL compliant
Peer-informed
ILO Decent Work Agenda
Where have we been
Five sessions since the inaugural forum in December 2025, each building directly on the last.
What are we building
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Target: July 2026
Collective Commitment Statement and Priority Actions A practical document outlining priority actions that businesses can implement immediately to protect workers during disruption, covering direct operations and contracted supply chains. Includes a one-page commitment statement that member companies are invited to sign as a voluntary, non-binding signal of leadership and peer accountability.
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Target: July / August 2026
A practical companion to the Commitment Statement, containing case examples from member companies, multilingual communication templates, checklists, and tools designed for operational use by site managers and HR leads.
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Target: December 2026
A mid-point synthesis of insights, evidence, and emerging practice from the first programme phase, published alongside the flagship Annual Decent Work Forum. The Forum will bring together member companies, knowledge partners, and government and civil society stakeholders to present findings and set the agenda for Year Two.
Join the Decent Work Taskforce.
The Taskforce is open to new members. We are actively welcoming companies operating in the UAE and the region that are ready to engage: sharing challenges, contributing to practical outputs, and holding themselves accountable alongside peers.
If you have a resource, case study, or initiative you would like to bring to the group, or want to explore what membership looks like, please get in touch.