Wage trouble sparks off more labour protests

Dubai: The emirate witnessed two more protests as hundreds of labourers working on the Palm Jumeirah staged demonstrations demanding full salaries and those at the Jaddaf Port stopped work over unpaid wages.

On Monday night, about 600 labourers from an Abu Dhabi-based company, hired on contract to work for another company at Palm Jumeirah, protested, said Lieutenant Riyadh Al Shafi, from Dubai Police's Human Rights Department.

He said the men protested because their company had deducted Dh150 from their monthly salary of Dh750 to pay for three meals a day. "They were angry and wanted their money back."

Al Shafi said the company promised to return the full amount and not deduct any more money.

Yesterday morning about 300 workers protested at the Al Jaddaf Port, to demand two months' unpaid wages. They said the company, which operates in the port, promised them higher wages. "It was a small problem and we hope it is now resolved," said one worker.

Al Shafi said company officials paid the men January's salary soon after the protest, and promised to pay February's salary next week. Inspectors at the Labour Ministry said the protest was uncalled for.

"The company promised to increase the men's salaries but the system wasn't in place yet, which held up the men's salaries. The workers wanted the higher salaries now."

Labour Minister Dr Ali Bin Abdullah Al Ka'abi refused to meet reporters.

Labour officials also said they could not speak to the press but said they are concerned workers are protesting for what they said were unjustified reasons and that workers were becoming more organised.

Work teams to boost ministry functioning

The Labour Ministry has formed five teams to reorganise its structure, operations and procedures, including one to improve its media image.

Labour Minister Dr Ali Bin Abdullah Al Ka'abi signed the ministerial decision on Monday but issued it yesterday to reporters. The work teams will be set up to "lay out a new vision for the ministry's role, its laws, policies and procedures". A "strategic work team" will build a new concept for the ministry's structure, reevaluate legislation and the monitoring and service systems. It will also lay out necessary policies for developing and empowering national human resources.

The "operations team" will analyse procedures followed at the ministry, reform them and issue a guide for them, coordinate with other bodies that come within the ministry's jurisdiction and set performance standards. An "electronic team" will analyse the ministry's security system. A "human resources team" and an "image team" are among the rest.