50 who returned to work are in hiding

Dubai: Construction workers are in hiding after being attacked by colleagues who accused them of breaking a five-day protest to demand better wages.

About 50 labourers from Besix Construct returned to work on Saturday, breaking a protest that began on May 16, when 8,000 labourers in the UAE stopped work, asking for a Dh5 daily increase, a bigger food allowance, and several other demands.

About 200 colleagues beat up the men as they returned to their labour accommodation. Some of the men were lightly injured.

The protest halted work on about 17 projects, including a section of the Burj Dubai mega project, causing a direct loss of Dh5 million, and an indirect loss of between Dh10 million and Dh15 million, said the CEO of the Belgium-based company, Johan Beerlandt. Helpers at Besix are paid a Dh15 basic wage, and Dh8.5 for food daily. They are not given a wage or food allowance on Friday, their day off.