Rights activists hail positive steps

Dubai: Workers rights activists on Wednesday hailed moves announced by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to improve the rights of expatriate workers.

K.V. Shamsudheen of the Pravasi Bandhu Welfare Trust, a charity set up to provide assistance to labourers, called it a "very bold step" to "protect the human rights of workers".

"The moves are based on a truly humanitarian response to support workers and covered all problem areas, including lack of medical safety nets, as well as accommodation and salary problems," he told Gulf News.

Mushtaque Rangwala, a volunteer at the Lighthouse, an organisation which works to support workers in the construction industry, described the developments as "very positive".