In another amazing co-incidence, less than a week after my post about nursing shortages, the Gulf News has run an article about "Recruiters [who] fly in and poach nurses".
The article has some important details about why these nurses would want to leave the Emirates for Canada:
"In Canada, nurses belong to an union and the salaries are at least three or four times higher. They also have a pension plan from the union, a one year paid maternity leave, a long term disability to the age of 65, should they get hurt on the job or be diagnosed with a long-term illness."
Health workers also blame the rise in living cost and lack of challenges here.
It also confirms my speculation about the troubled future for the Emirates, as "Marianne Gerstner, chief nursing officer at the Medcare Hospital, said it was getting more difficult to recruit experienced and qualified nurses for her hospital."
Read the whole thing. With the immigration and retirement policies of the Emirates for expatriate workers, clearly this is going to be a big problem in the future.
One thing I don't understand is this: If it is "poaching" when Canada comes here and offers nurses jobs, what exactly is it that the Emirates are doing to get the nurses here in the first place? For example, "Marianne Gerstner" doesn't sound much like a traditional Emirati name to me.
1 comment:
I think you've raised a valid point there. I am a UAE born/bred/educated expat. I've been fortunate to have the opportunity to attend good schools, travel internationally and someone who seem to have a knack for numbers & margins (or so tells me by boss).
I wanted to live in the UAE - even if I made lesser monies (or was not as challenged) - compared to what I do now today in New York.
Last Christmas I was offered to head a practice with the Middle East branch in Dubai. I turned it down - primary reason being - "the immigration and retirement policies of the Emirates for expatriate workers".
My best guess is, that the UAE government want it's citizens (primarily Emiratis) in the country for the long haul. I don't know if this is feasible - but then again, ten years ago I never imagined - Dubai would look like what it is today.
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