The ordeal continues after fire, say construction workers

Conditions at a worker’s housing compound badly damaged three months ago remain abysmal, the workers said.

New housing, consisting of 50 porta–cabins, were provided to the workers two months after the fire. Each cabin houses eight workers. They must walk one kilometre to get their groceries after a full day’s work.

The fire took place in July and displaced more than 3,500 construction workers. There were no casualties (Gulf News, August 1).

The employees cook their own food because the company canteen is too expensive. They are not provided with Iftar meals and must return from work and prepare food themselves, they said.

Gulf News did manage to speak to them – though they were told not to speak to the press.

They were in the process of preparing their food. Their kitchen consisted of six large, open concrete rooms. Each room had 20 stoves with two burners. Several fire extinguishers were placed outside the building, a reminder of the fire.

Laundry hung on the porta–cabins and clouds of dust were easily kicked up.

A worker, seen carrying water, rice, cooking oil and cooking utensils, said: “We must hurry to book a place at one of the burners in the kitchen. During Ramadan, everybody is in a rush to cook and eat.”

Another worker, a Muslim, said: “It’s been a hard day’s work and I’m too tired to cook. I’ll have to rely on someone else who has already cooked and is kind enough to offer me some food.”

One of the workers was resting in the open kitchen and seemed exhausted. “We are very tired after work. I’m very hungry and am not a Muslim. I don’t want to cook, but what choice do I have.”

After the fire, the workers were taken to Sharjah and housed with their colleagues. “One thousand of us were shifted to Sharjah after the fire and were squeezed in with the others there. As they built new cabins, we were moved back here.”

After the fire, one worker said, they were offered blankets, bedding and other supplies by members of the public. “People were good to us, but company officials shooed them away.”

Workers were given only Dh100 each as compensation. Most had lost bedding, possessions and all their savings, amounting to Dh40,000 in one case.

An official from the company said they were providing food for Iftar and confirmed that compensation from the fire amounted to Dh100 for each worker. He ridiculed the idea that any employee would have Dh40,000 with him in the compound.

“We are doing everything that is required. We don’t want anyone to investigate or report our company. Please consider this matter closed.”

He also threatened to sue Gulf News if the stories continue to be published.