Dubai: Less than 1 per cent of labourer housing facilities in Dubai are in poor condition, according to the Dubai Standing Committee of Labour Affairs at the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, which issued its semi-annual report on Wednesday.

There were 954 periodic inspections of labour accommodations in the Deira and Bur Dubai areas this year. These inspections revealed that there were 17 housing units with poor facilities — 11 in Deira and 6 in Bur Dubai. There were 493 units in the medium housing category, of which 284 were in Deira and 209 in Bur Dubai. There were 480 units found to be good condition, of which 90 were in Deira and 390 in Bur Dubai.

The inspection campaigns covered 139,182 rooms in the labour housing units — 45,153 in Deira and 94,029 in Bur Dubai. These included 523,432 workers, of which 166,792 lived in Deira and 356,640 in Bur Dubai.

Major General Obaid Muhair Bin Surour, head of the committee, said that policies and efforts made by the committee since its inception in 2011 have enhanced the UAE’s reputation in international forums in terms of labour rights. He also pointed out that the state register for the protection of workers’ rights and humanitarian work was praised by the UN Human Rights Council, International Labour Organisation and the UN secretary-general.

Under the directives of the UAE leadership, Maj Gen Bin Surour revealed that the committee has set up an ambitious plan under the slogan (‘Workers are happy’) to improve the life of workers in the UAE.

He also expressed his appreciation for companies cooperating closely with the committee to improve labour accommodations. He pointed out that some companies have excellent housing quarters that include swimming pools, sports facilities and health centres with clean sleeping facilities all year round.

He stressed that the UAE figures in the list of best countries in the world in the field of humanitarian work, philanthropy and protection of workers’ rights because of the government’s directives and the diligent work of the departments tasked with implementation.

He added that the committee, in keeping with the directives of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and the follow-up of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince, is developing strategies aimed at enhancing communication with labour companies and labourers.

This will guarantee the success of welfare projects, he said.