# #TOPIC: Treatment of construction workers in the UAE



## Trances (May 19, 2003)

one major thing dubai lacks is respect for anyone or anything ( to a degree )

Steps are being taken but the change in the culture of business will take generations


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## juiced (Aug 18, 2004)

zuhahmed said:


> it probably exists, but why are so many companies breaking the law, and how come the police is not doing any thing about it, this doesn't make sense to me.


Corruption basically, even in a city as "westernised" as Dubai there is still a lot of things you can get away with if you know the right people


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## smussuw (Feb 1, 2004)

juiced said:


> Corruption basically, even in a city as "westernised" as Dubai there is still a lot of things you can get away with if you know the right people


That is true. however its not comparble to corrupted government like the palestanian government and almost all the neighbouring countries and north africa.


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## Trances (May 19, 2003)

its on a diff level
I belive it much worse that a corrupt upper goverment
In Dubai there is not that. I think they had the true intrest of the country at heart. Somethat is alcking in the rest of the world these days as it just not possible. But those does not filter down to the rest of the people in dubai


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## Dubai_Boy (May 21, 2003)

juiced , so your saying corruption doesnt exsist in western nations ?


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## Trances (May 19, 2003)

more so but not in the same form i belive


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## Trances (May 19, 2003)

Police detain three workers for ‘inciting’ work stoppage

DUBAI — Three workers of a Dubai-based company were taken to police station on Sunday for questioning, in the context of protests following the suicide of a worker some days ago. The workers, staying at their camp in Satwa, allegedly incited their co-workers to stop work

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/Display...er/theuae_December328.xml&section=theuae&col=


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## Guest (Dec 15, 2004)

Lack of respect in Dubai is from all people towards all people. The mix of nationalities don't get along together.

Face it, Dubai is full of racism from everyone. The etiquette is garbage.


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## Dubai-Lover (Jul 4, 2004)

i wouldn't say that bulldozergirl
of course so many nations can't live together in perfect harmony
there will always be differences

but compared to other countries dubai is a heaven for all nationalities
here in germany we really still have racist problems, damn it hno:
some people didn't learn from our/germany's terrible history

in dubai there definitely are some racial problems, but still not comparable to what's going on in other countries

but i agree that once more pakistanis and indians seem to be discriminated, especially construction workers, who don't get paid (but only some companies do it the dirty way)
(don't forget, these people are actually those who "build" dubai!!)
the ironic thing is in dubai they earn much much more money than at home although it still is a very little income


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## Dubai_Boy (May 21, 2003)

I hope one day shiekh mohammed bin rashid will get up on stage and say something like 


"i`m going to kick very company and put any manager in jail if they dont start taking care of their workers like their own children"

i mean ya allah , those people are building this country and are still treated like shit

i believe they should get the following

1- colgate , soap , shampoo per month + tooth brush + nail cutters
2-Shoes and sandles every 6 months or year
3-three trousers and three shirts every year
4-make sure there is a bathroom for every 2-3 people MAX
5-free ticket back home every 3 years
6- free medical insurance under 5000 dhs
7-..................ect


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## juiced (Aug 18, 2004)

Dubai_Boy said:


> juiced , so your saying corruption doesnt exsist in western nations ?


Nope that's not what Im saying, corruption exists in all countries, just recently the British Home Secretary has been accused of a visa scandal, fastracking his lover's nanny's visa application etc
But in Dubai it seems to be much worse and sometimes you get the impression nothing much is being done about it. Take a look at what happened with the worker who hanged himself, if this were in the UK for instance there would be outrage, name-and-shame of the company's owners, inquiries etc...
But what has happened to them so far, apart from the news being reported in Gulf News? Not much really

edit: Not that corruption here in Dubai is as bad as neighbouring countries, in fact it's one of the least-corrupted places in the region, but things like basic human rights and the right to getting paid on time should be standard and not debatable


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## Guest (Dec 15, 2004)

The British press likes sensationalisation, that's why you keep reading certain stories about mistreated people or whatever. There are millions there, those who get mentioned and have something done about their case are very few.

Even in Dubai there are cases where abused people are helped and something is done about their employers who don't pay them.

Westernisation does not mean less corruption. The only difference is that in Western countries they're corrupt and wear suits and eat cheese and drink wine, so some people look at them and think they're educated and have morals, when actually they're full of crap like everyone else.

And you can blame the British for whatever corruption there is in Dubai, since they didn't do a good job of teaching the savages how to run a country and what morals they should have when they colonised the place.


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## Krazy (Apr 27, 2004)

BulldozerGirl said:


> The only difference is that in Western countries they're corrupt and wear suits and eat cheese and drink wine, so some people look at them and think they're educated and have morals, when actually they're full of crap like everyone else.


 :hahaha: :rofl: :applause: :lol:


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## Dubai-Lover (Jul 4, 2004)

300 workers protest over wages 

By Bassma al Jandaly, Staff Reporter 

Dubai: More than 300 workers protested their company's failure to pay them for the past six months.

The men marched on Shaikh Zayed Road in Al Quoz yesterday. They said the situation is so bad they are unable to buy food.

The workers, who are employed by a contracting company, said their salaries are Dh400 to Dh700 a month and they have not been paid for the last six months.

"We have to borrow Dh2 to Dh5 from people daily so we can buy food. We eat once a day," one of the workers said.

The situation was inhumane and unfair, he said.

"We have family to support at home and we came to the UAE to earn money to feed our children not to beg," he said.

The workers - who are from India, Pakistan, Egypt and Nepal - have said they are tired of their employer's promises.

"They keep buying time by making promises. They keep saying they will pay us next week, but they do not do as they say," one worker said.

"They should pay our salaries. I paid about Dh8,000 to an agent to come and work in the UAE. I borrowed the money and now I am without even money to buy food," another worker said.

The company's management kept promising their salaries would be paid.

"Every day they tell us that they will pay us next week - and next week they ask us to wait another week. We are not even able to go the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs because we do not have money for transportation. Today, we are going to walk to the ministry if the company does not pay our salaries," another worker said.

"We are worried about what will happen to us after. But for how long are we going to be in this situation? We want the authorities to help us and push our company to pay what is due to us," a worker said.

"We have been promised by the company management they will solve our problem and pay our salaries. They give us false hope. So after many promises, we are no longer sure if they will do it or not. They are no longer credible," another worker said.


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## imi (Jan 10, 2005)

Come on. All you Emiratis out there must admitt to how racist the Persian Gulf Arabs are to people from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. We are all treated like animals because we come from poor countries. The reason for this is because the people are Jahil and have been made Jahil by the wealth Allah(swt) has given them. Racism is a form of pride and the people should revert to the noble way the Rasool(saw) treated people and He(saw) was an Arab.
Remeber in the Rasool(saw) last sermon, before Allah(swt) took His soul "No Arab is better than a non-arab"


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## Ruminative (Jan 9, 2005)

imi said:


> Come on. All you Emiratis out there must admitt to how racist the Persian Gulf Arabs are to people from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. We are all treated like animals because we come from poor countries. The reason for this is because the people are Jahil and have been made Jahil by the wealth Allah(swt) has given them. Racism is a form of pride and the people should revert to the noble way the Rasool(saw) treated people and He(saw) was an Arab.
> Remeber in the Rasool(saw) last sermon, before Allah(swt) took His soul "No Arab is better than a non-arab"


i'm sorry i disagree... i'm an indian... i think its in all our heads... if someones treatin you differently.. it's in your head tht ur indian or whatever... and u're being treated differently just because of that.. maybe you are but maybe they havea reason besides your race !?? i think racism in dubai is just over stated!!! it exists but it's not that bad at alll- to whine about... ! to say we're treated like animals is just such an ignorant remark in my opinion!!!

the labor force.. yea thats just wrong... the way they'r treated... they could complain about how they're treated like animals... ! it's sad... they should have a labor city.. where every company was made to provide free housing for the construction workers they hire... without having 10-15 ppl cramped up in a little room!


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## Krazy (Apr 27, 2004)

*Unpaid workers promised salaries soon*

Dubai: The 300 workers who protested this week because they have not been paid in six months will get their money but it will take time.

The workers marched to the offices of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs after their company failed - again - to pay them.

An official from the ministry said six workers from the company came to the ministry accompanied by a police official and the owner of the company to resolve the matter.

The manager of the company agreed to pay two-months' salary and the rest will be paid over the next four months, said Jasem Al Banna, assistant director of the labour relation department.

The workers will receive their wages and their case will be followed by the ministry, he said.

About 300 workers marched from 7am till 11am on Shaikh Zayed Road in Al Quoz on Saturday.

When the workers protested, police came and asked them to go to work. Police took six of the workers to represent the group at the ministry.

"Police came to us and they asked us to go to work and they took six of us with them to the labour court," one worker said.

The workers are employed by a contracting company and are paid Dh400 to Dh700 a month.

The workers said when the company recruited them they were told they would be paid more than what they are receiving.

"They told us they will pay us our wages and they asked us to continue our work. We refused and we will protest till they settle the problem."

One of the workers said the situation is miserable. "No money to eat or even to go for medical treatment."

"They treat us like slaves," he said.

It was their only choice, he said, to protest and march on the streets of the city so somebody would listen to them.

"Our families in our country need our support. If the company cannot pay our salaries, then why are they running a business?

"We are humans and the company should take that into consideration."

He said they will not work until they receive their salaries.


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## Dubai-Lover (Jul 4, 2004)

i just would like to have a confirmation if the companies either are not able to pay or don't want to pay. I guess it's the second option, but which company cares about aed700 monthly salary?
this is just insane. in other countries companies would be happy to just pay let's say aed1500!


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## SkylineTurbo (Dec 22, 2004)

Depressing,  they should be treated fairly, coming from developing countries to look for a better life.


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## Trances (May 19, 2003)

i dont think its so much race
but just taking advantage it would make no diff where they from


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