Anja Merret

Workers’ rights a mirage in Dubai



Posted: Monday, August 06, 2007

by
Anja Merret

Stories of human abuse still manage to shock me. I often think that I have seen everything. And in a way this particular story is not much different to others. This story in The New York Times talks about seriously volatile labour problems in Dubai’s construction sector.

Here workers get up at dawn in desert dormitories from overcrowded small rooms, are bused to work, pour concrete in temperatures that top 110 degree and earn about $1 per hour. To improve their working conditions, strikes and riots have been held by construction workers.

In itself the human abuse is shocking. What got to me was the fact that Dubai glitters as this fabulous mirage of a city in the middle of a desert. It is a man made paradise where the rich and gorgeous live it up either by entertaining in their luxury pads on one of the man made little islands or shopping up a storm at the malls. With other words there is no shortage of money with which to pay decent wages.

There are 1.2 million foreign construction workers in Dubai. In fact, Dubai would not be able to showcase their garish taste in architecture without the foreign workers. The Kingdom has only 800 000 citizens. Hardly a drop in the ocean in terms of the workforce they need to keep the building boom going.

It is not only the construction industry that craves foreign workers. The rest of the economy runs on foreign manpower with 99% of the private workforce coming from outside the country. They make up about 4.5 million people.

Usually one hears of extraordinary good salaries offered as incentives to work and live in the Emerites. It is therefore a bit of a shock to read about the conditions that the construction workers have to labour under. Not only are the working conditions bad, but many workers have had to pay large broker fees to get to Dubai and some have even been cheated of their meagre pay packages.

Presumably because the construction industry does not need highly skilled people, it is easier to source cheap labour. Furthermore for people coming from countries such as Bangladesh and India salaries of $1 per hour are far more than they are able to earn in their home cities.

It’s just a pity that because people are desperate, they are taken advantage of. It’s called exploitation. It’s a particularly nasty human character trait that comes out regularly. Kick a person who is down already.

There are further factors at play here according to the article. The small country is fearful of these huge numbers of foreign workers. One of the reasons for the bad living conditions is to keep workers separated from the regular citizens to ensure no dilution of the Arab population. It seems the UAE is taking xenophobia to another level. Yet they are happy to accept the work, just don’t settle in the country.

Migrant labour is not a new trend and was generally found in agriculture. Additional workers were required for such seasonal activities as planting and harvesting. In the case of Dubai, some construction workers have been working in Dubai for years.

One could say that they are no longer migrant workers, but constitute a regular and more permanent workforce which would require some higher standards of employment such as medical aid and reasonable accommodation. Lets hope that the strikes and labour unrest will bring improvements to the lives of these people who are desperate to feed their families and improve their lot in life.
Anja Merret lives in Brighton, UK. She is a professional article writer and supplies The Digital Archives' Article Writing Service with top quality material. The Digital Archives have a special offer, not to be missed, right now.

Check the deal here, and sign up if you need top quality articles for your blog or site at http://thedigitalarchives.com

She also has a blog on health and diet issues. Having battled all her life against her own bulge she and a nutritionist coach Tanya Stocken are helping people with their battle of the bulge without suffering too much.

Visit http://easywaydiets.com for words of encouragement, goal setting tips and tricks and good advice on a healthy lifestyle.
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)
» left by Cari Jones
 4 years 160 days ago.
As always, you make very astute observations about what's going on in this big world. I too had read of the conditions of the Indian workers when reading that the tallest building in the world under construction,Burj Dubai will surpass the Sears Tower and all others upon completion. I've been reading a lot about Dubai, since Tiger Woods is building his first golf course there also. It struck me then and just now reading your article, how similar their situation is to unskilled laborers everywhere, wealth amid poverty has a familiar ring as well. It is indeed a pity. Great article Anja.
» left by Anja Merret
from Brighton, UK 4 years 160 days ago.
Thanks for your comment. It is sad isn't it. But at least they are standing up for their rights and I see they are building some kind of luxury worker camp for about 50 000 people. Still penned up though with nowhere allowed to go. Arabs are scared these 'heathen' non muslim foreigners might actually want to stay.
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