UAE | Employment
UAE disputes watchdog report on labour situation
A survey of only 60 workers out of the more than 500,000 working in the sector was revealed as the basis of a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW).
- By Duraid Al Baik, Foreign Editor
- Published: 23:35 May 3, 2009
- Hadi Ghaemi displays copies of the 71-page report, 'Building Towers, Cheating Workers at a press conference in Dubai.
- Image Credit: Pankaj Sharma/Gulf News
Dubai: A field survey of only 60 workers from a number of construction companies in Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman out of the more than 500,000 working in the sector was revealed yesterday as the basis of a report released here by the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) criticising what it termed as "serious abuses" of workers' rights by their employers in the UAE.
The report drew strong criticism from lawyers and members of non-governmental organisations in the country for what they said as "imbalanced recommendations" and "sensational arguments" based on poor investigation.
Interviews with just 60 workers will not give anybody a real picture of the situation, one critic said.
Commenting on the report, Dr. Ali Bin Abdullah Al Ka'abi, Minister of Labour, said the government had already taken action to deal with the issues raised by Human Rights Watch.
Legislation
He disputed the watchdog's allegations that companies, which were in breach of existing legislation, were not being penalised.
Titled "Building Towers, Cheating Workers", the 71-page report distributed here yesterday focused on issues ranging from forcing workers seeking employment in the UAE to pay illegal sum to get working permits, to delayed payment of salaries, lack of proper safety measures in construction sites and poor living conditions in accommodation facilities.
The rights body said it based its report on interviews with workers and people related to the business in February this year.
Hadi Ghaemi who managed and conducted the survey, blamed the UAE Government for "not aggressively prosecuting" companies violating labourers' rights and recommended an 11-point action plan to curb abuse of workers rights in construction sector.
Courts welcomed
He also called on the governments that export workers to the UAE, namely India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, to work with the authorities here to protect workers' rights.
Ghaemi welcomed the UAE announcement to set up special courts for labourers that was ordered last week along with a set of measures meant to curb abuse of workers' rights.
Last week, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice- President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, instructed the labour minister to take necessary action to address the issues of expatriate workers in the country. He ordered the ministry to ensure improved standards of health, safety and quality of life for expatriate workers in both their workplaces and living areas.
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