UAE | Employment

First batch of 60 workers deported for violent protest

The first batch of 60 out of 185 workers of ETA Ascon who were arrested for turning violent during a protest was deported on Tuesday night.

  • By Sunita Menon and Wafa Issa, Staff Reporters
  • Published: 00:00 March 15, 2007
  • Gulf News

  • Workers protest in demand of salary increase recently.
  • Image Credit: Wafa Issa/Gulf News Archive

Dubai: The first batch of 60 out of 185 workers of ETA Ascon who were arrested for turning violent during a protest was deported on Tuesday night.

About 8,000 workers of ETA Ascon from Sonapur and Al Quoz went on a protest on Saturday demanding a hike in their basic salary and a two-way airfare when they go on leave every two years.

Head of the inspection unit at the Labour Ministry and deputy director of the Permanent Committee of Labour Affairs Abdullah Saeed Bin Suloom yesterday confirmed the deportation and said: "From now on investigations on labour protest will be done with proof at hand. The main reason for the deportation of workers in this particular case is because of the violent behaviour."

The workers went back to work the same day following a negotiation between them, their management and officials of the Permanent Committee of Labour Affairs in Dubai in which it was decided to give them an increase of Dh2 per day to their basic salary and a two-way airfare once in two years.

Workers who spoke to Gulf News said they did take the deportation threat seriously. "Now we regret the protest. It is not easy to get a new job. I feel sorry for my colleagues who are deported," said an Indian worker.

Abdul Hakim, human resource manager of the company, said the deported workers were given their end of service benefits. He said they were Nepalese, Indians and Bangladeshis.

"It was organised violence ... those involved in the violence were educated workers. We have also received letters of apology from remaining workers in which they admitted that they were fooled into staging protests," said Hakim.

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