New laws to clean up labour camps

Stiff sanctions will be levied against labour camp owners who flout new laws being drafted to clean up worker accommodations, says Labour Minister Saqr Ghobash Saeed Ghobash.

Ghobash told reporters on Monday that “measures will be taken against those who don't comply.''

Labour ministry inspectors are now conducting weekly camp visits across the country, he said.

The minister said that the government has already punished some camp owners under existing laws, but declined to elaborate on individual cases.

Appalling conditions at labour camps are becoming less common across the UAE, he said, although there have been a number of worker protests at various camps of late.
“In the past there were problems but the UAE has taken action,'' Ghobash said. “Today the situation is much better than before.''

He didn't say when new national labour camp standards would be introduced.

Ghobash made the comments during a tour of labour camps at Aldar's Yas Island where 21,000 labourers in four camps live as part of an international push to develop the island project.

Yas Island will become host to the last race of the F1 season in November 2009 on a new racing circuit. The development will also include theme parks, hotels, a water park, a golf course, marinas and gated communities.

He lauded Aldar Properties for operating camps that he viewed as a shining example of providing accommodations that place high emphasis on quality of life through mosques, quality cafeterias, sport and recreational facilities, a health clinic, supermarket and internet cafes.

However, Ghobash did acknowledge that his tour of the labour camp at Yas Island was a scheduled visit.

“This is a planned visit, the next visit will not be so planned,'' he said.

Steve Worrell, Aldar project director, said construction is pushing ahead in time for a soft opening in June of next year and attributed high productivity to excellent worker conditions.

“We're proud of what we have for our workers,'' Worrell said noting that the company prefers to call the camps “operative villages''.

“We've tried to provide a good quality of life for our workers on Yas Island,'' he said.

By building quality camps close to the development projects, Worrell said Aldar saves a large amount of cost and time by eliminating transportation.

“If they lived off of the island, transportation would be an hour, maybe more,'' he said.

Scott Dowding, Aldar's logistics coordinator for the camps, said it's a big job caring for so many workers each and every day.

“The biggest challenge every day is just keeping the workforce happy,'' he told XPRESS. “These guys leave their families for a long time.''

Dowding said that quality of life isn't just about providing top living and recreational facilities – providing access to small things such as shampoo and shaving blades can make a big difference.

Supermarkets throughout the compounds provide all of the small creature comforts necessary, he said.

One of the best ways to keep workers happy is through their stomachs, Dowding said.

Aldar is culturally sensitive, he said, and provides different food courses based upon nationalities from Indian fare to Asian menus.

He estimated that the camp's kitchens cook and prepare every day eight tonnes of rice and 3.5 tonnes of chicken and fish.

Home away from home

Workers who talked with XPRESS during a tour of labour camps Monday shared the usual gripes about their accommodation on Yas Island.

The food, they said, wasn't as good as they expected when they signed contracts to come to Dubai from their home countries of Pakistan and India.

Some said they couldn't access internet time at the cafes and others complained that they were tired of cramped quarters in which four workers share rooms provided by the company.

But there were others who said that Aldar's camps were among the best they have ever seen.

Micheal Barretto, 44, of India, has been on Yas Island for eight months, his latest post of a 22-year working career throughout the GCC region.

He claimed he has stayed in hundreds of labour camps.

“This is a unique experience and is a home away from home,'' Baretto told XPRESS. The facilities are far better here. This is in the top five per cent.''

Anil Kumar, 33, of India, has worked as a caterer on Yas Island for nine months and said Aldar's accommodations were the best he's seen.

“This place is different. At the end of day, we have entertainment and sports facilities. We have air conditioning in our rooms, we have laundry facilities. It is very good to live here,'' he said.

Wins award

Aldar didn't receive praise only from the UAE government.

It has garnered an international award for its health and safety performance whilst building its multi-billion dirham development on Yas Island.

The Best Health and Safety Achievement in Construction'' award was presented by safety organisations in London.

The judges said that “only two lost-time injuries have occurred in more than 19 million hours worked, and standards of health and welfare for the vast workforce are very high. Operative's villages have been constructed to house them and are fully equipped with catering, sport and medical facilities. Given the scale and context of the project, these results are very impressive.''