Thousands of foreign construction workers in the United Arab Emirates’ Dubai have gone on strike to protest their harsh working conditions.
Workers blocked roads and hurled stones at the police over the weekend. The government is threatening to deport rioters and ban them for life from working in the UAE.
Over the past few years the building boom in the UAE, and especially in Dubai, has caused a huge influx of foreign workers from Asia, North Africa and other Arab countries. They come seeking employment and livelihoods for their families back home, and are eagerly employed for their cheap labor.
But the workers, as well as labor rights organizations, say they are treated very badly in many Gulf countries.
The protesting workers complained about long working hours, no minimum wage and a lack of legal channels to issue complaints.
Another grievance is linked to the weakening dollar. The UAE dirham is pegged to the dollar, the value of which is currently plummeting against all major international currencies. Since the value of the dirham is also going down, the workers are, in effect, sending less money home.
Gulf countries have become heavily reliant on foreign workers who flock to these countries from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Philippines, the Horn of Africa and other Arab states.
Originally they were recruited for the construction and development industries, but over the years they have also come to provide domestic services, providing cheap labor.
In many cases their rights are not protected at all. There are many rights violations, including consecutive months of unpaid salaries, long hours, poor working conditions, maltreatment, abuse and even rape of migrant women, said Khawla Mattar, a senior specialist on fundamental principles and rights at work with the International Labor Organization.
“It’s becoming an issue for us and many of the local governments are also concerned,” she said.
The ILO is working with the Gulf countries to have certain laws changed to improve protection of workers and create a better monitoring system.