Opinion | Your Say

Have your say: Workers protests

Workers who protest without a valid reason face deportation, said Dr Ali Bin Abdullah Al Ka'abi, Minister of Labour, at a press conference yesterday

  • Gulf News Web Report
  • Published: 00:00 July 9, 2006
  • Gulf News

Workers who protest without a valid reason face deportation, said Dr Ali Bin Abdullah Al Ka'abi, Minister of Labour, at a press conference yesterday.

The Ministry of Labour recognised three legal reasons for protests: unpaid wages, poor living conditions and lack of safety procedures.

"Workers who protest for reasons that do not fall into these categories are violating the law and are jeopardizing their stay in the country," says Dr Al Ka'abi.

Do you think the Ministry of Labour is doing enough to improve working conditions in the UAE? Are worker protests unnecessary? Have you had any bad experience with recruitment agencies?

Send your comments to feedback@gulfnews.com

A selection of your emails will be published on this page. We reserve the right to edit emails for length and clarity but comments will reflect the balance of opinion. Emails will not be published if no name is provided. If you wish to remain anonymous then please state this at the bottom of your comment.

Changes to the labour laws would help labourours as well as employers. The new laws are welcomed by people who are getting very low salaries. They hope the new laws will force the employers to give reasonable salary and accomadation.
Sathik
By email

Revival of Labour Laws with more transparency to the benefits of both the Employee and Employer would be highly appeasable.
Chidambaran
Dubai

If someone wants to protest, then we shouldn't blame him. Everyone knows they are here to work and earn some money for back home. But when he can't afford everyday items, he is likely to become irritable. These things happen. I want to ask the readers of this newspaper who are reading this in an A C offices: Give a budget to people who are getting just Dh600 or Dh700, so they can live their lives here and send money back home. We are human and can’t live our lives on this kind of budget. 
Muhammad
By email

I appreciate the labour minister for implementing the new labour law and restricting protests with valid reason. This will maintain a healthy environment with the employer and the employee to a certain extent in order to attain a triangular controlled system of law and order. Valid reasons are always respected by the civilised nation and this is a proof of example. All the expatriates should give the same respect to the authority of nation.
Raj
Dubai

We have been listening about labour laws for 10 years, but are still waiting. As you know, many companies pay a salary of Dh450 monthly. With Dh450 a person cannot eat properly. I hope salaries will be increased to above Dh1000.
Nasser
By email

Hats off, for the statement of Dr Ali Bin Abdullah Al Ka'abi, Minister of Labor, saying that labourers can protest now about the basic issues. As a mater of fact, UAE leadership proved once again that they are well aware of the socio-economic undercurrents of the society. Lately, we have witnessed a barrage of labor protest who is involved to create a history but the employers are more interested to mint money rather paying salaries to workers in time. No one can achieve a balanced growth of any nation if the benefits are not equally distributed to each section of society. Dr. Al Ka'abi's statement will ensure the firm determination of UAE Leadership that no one will be left behind without appreciation. We can expect a chain of other welfare laws in the future.
Ansari
By email

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