Hundreds of workers forced to live in attics

Abu Dhabi: Hundreds of low-income workers are forced to live in attics in their shops in the New Shahama compound in Abu Dhabi for lack of accommodation for bachelors.

The workers, who hail from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, were recently served with notices from Abu Dhabi Municipalities and Agriculture Department to remove these ceilings and stop these illegal practices.

Mohammad Shafiqul Islam, a restaurant worker from Bangladesh, said: "Six colleagues and I were crammed in an attic. It is illegal and inhumane, but we were left with no other option. There is no accommodation for bachelors in this residential compound."

More than 100 three-storeyed buildings, built in the New Shahama, around 65 km from downtown Abu Dhabi, are owned by the Commercial Building Department, commonly known as the Shaikh Khalifa Committee and rented out to families only. Each building has up to 15 shops, including groceries, bakeries, barbershops, meat shops and bookshops.

The workers, some of them are working and living in their shops for 14 years now, said they are prepared to pay reasonable rents for bachelor accommodation.

Sleepless nights

Esmail Abdul Rahman, a worker in an aluminium and glass workshop, said he earns up to Dh700 a month. "I am prepared to pay Dh100 to Dh150 as monthly rent for a reasonable, but more decent bachelor accommodation instead of this low ceiling attic," Abdul Rahman, a resident for more than six years now, said, pointing to his accommodation.

Sayed Mohammad Haroonur Rashid, an owner of a small grocery, said: "We had sleepless nights as the deadline given by the municipality is ending. We were initially served notices and asked to dismantle the attics within 24 hours. Officials increased it to 21 days. Where can we go? We will be forced to live in the open under trees or under staircases."

For some workers, the 21- day period has ended, while the deadline is nearing for others.

He added many small shops like his will have to be closed down if the authorities did not help in finding an alternative.

The workers climb on to the roofs of their shops at night using wooden staircases set up in the back of the shops and camouflaged with tainted glass doors. They sleep there during the night and have their breakfast before they go back to work.

The workers appealed to the authorities to provide them with accommodation similar to their fellow workers in industrial areas.

Civic officials were not available for comment.

I was in Dubai for 3 years and came back to India in May, 2006 just because of shortage of accommodation for bachelors.
Shah
Ahmedabad,India

There is no licensing to build residential camps for labourers. Companies have to rent, yet there are not enough camps to rent, hence, it is not the companies' fault.
Karim
Abu Dhabi,UAE

I feel very sorry to read this. Many people are just going abroad without thinking about all the consequences.
Kirti
Chennai,India

Accommodation is becoming a big problem in Abu Dhabi now. It is very difficult to get accommodation for a reasonable rent these days. I am glad this article has brought forward the problems of common people in Abu Dhabi.
Amit
Abu Dhabi,UAE

My father runs a fast food shop in Abu Dhabi and employs about 8 people. They were housed in a villa in Muroor and given Dh3,500 salary per month but one day Municipality workers came and took photographs of the rooms in the villa and asked us to leave. It is difficult to get a flat or villa for bachelors here.
Jams
Abu Dhabi,UAE

The salary should be increased first and workers given accommodation not far from the city.
Prashant
Mumbai,India

Abu Dhabi is on the path to major development but there is not enough place to house workers. Something should be done to address this problem.
Malay
Abu Dhabi,UAE

In our building the workers from the iron shop are sleeping under the table. They have to use an improvised toilet in the area where the garbage container is located. I think that is really inhumane.
Anonymous
Abu Dhabi,UAE