Watching out for the rights of Dubai labourers

Dubai: “We want our workers to know their rights and make sure they are living in humane and sanitary conditions,” Major General Obaid Muhair Bin Surour, Chairman of the Permanent Committee for Labour Affairs (PCLA), said.

The committee, to ensure labourers in Dubai aren’t being mistreated, conducts frequent investigations of work sites and living spaces, penalising companies that fail to provide the necessary facilities. This year, the PCLA adopted a new, smart investigations system, which Bin Surour said is helping curb violations. It also started awareness campaigns, which helped decrease the crime rate amongst labourers by educating them of UAE laws.

With almost 250 construction companies operating in the city, there was a need for a committee to ensure the emirate’s 500,000 labourers were living in humane and sanitary conditions. As a result, the PCLA was founded in 2005, following a decision by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

“There are more than half a million blue-collar workers in Dubai and we want to ensure they are living in proper conditions,” Bin Surour said, adding that the PCLA regularly investigates the 150,000 rooms designated for blue-collar workers, ensuring they meet hygiene and safety standards.

The PCLA also educates the workforce about their legal rights.

“This was a busy year for the PCLA,” Major General Obaid Muhair Bin Surour, Chairman of the PCLA, said. “We launched a number of new awareness campaigns targeting blue-collar workers. We distributed pamphlets in multiple languages and conducted seminars all to ensure that every blue-collar worker in the emirate is fully aware of his rights as per the law.”

Bin Surour said that most crimes committed by workers were due to ignorance of UAE laws and can be prevented by educating them. “We have more than 200 nationalities living in the UAE,” he said, “and laws differ from one country to the next.”

Bin Surour said the PCLA also wants workers in Dubai to be fully aware about their rights regarding working hours, overtime, monthly salaries, medical benefits, days off, public holidays, end of service benefits, and accommodation allowances. By educating them about their rights, Bin Surour said the crime rate among labourers has come down by 50 per cent.

“We launched a campaign this year under the slogan ‘Safe Work is My Life and My Future’,” he said, “We distributed thousands of leaflets, posters and brochures among construction workers. The leaflets were printed in Urdu, English and Arabic, and outlined the local laws.”

The PCLA also oversaw the implementation of the mid-day break rule in Dubai, which comes into effect every year from June to September. The rule stipulates that all workers stationed in outdoor areas are given a break from 12pm and 3pm. Companies that contravene the law, will have their classification downgraded by the Ministry of Labour, and will be fined Dh5,000 for each worker, with the maximum fine not exceeding Dh50,000.

Bin Surour said the inspection team of the PCLA will not only find violations but will also guide and educate workers and companies to avoid violations of the midday break. However, site and accommodation inspections are not limited to the three months in which the rule is in place.

“We conduct investigations of work sites and living arrangements throughout the year,” he said, adding that the PCLA adopted a new smart inspections system this year, which greatly helped in curbing violations.

“Through the new smart system, investigating officers have access to the main database at the site,” he said. “In a few months after using the smart system, we noticed a significant drop in violations.”

Bin Surour said the smart system eliminates a number of unnecessary steps in the investigation process.

“Investigation details are instantly sent to the head office of the committee. This includes pictures and videos. The smart system also gives investigators instant details about any given company and the number of labourers under their employment. We’ve found the efficacy of this system to be undeniable; companies are being more compliant with the rules.”

More than 1,500 labourers benefited from a free dental checkup and treatment initiative launched earlier this year by the PCLA and the Hamdan Bin Mohammad College of Dental Medicine. The initiative was organised under the patronage of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai.

“This initiative aims at providing workers the proper dental attention that they can’t otherwise afford and the screening is going to be conducted at their accommodation,” said Bin Surour. “If any treatment is necessary, they will seek it at the college.”

Bin Surour added that this was only the first phase of the initiative, which plans to reach out to as many blue-collar workers in Dubai as possible.