[DEBATE] : Fw: [LNSA] South Asian Workers Protest in Dubai: comment and reports

[peter waterman]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Harsh Kapoor 
To: lnsa at yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Wednesday, October 31, 2007 11:46 PM
Subject: [LNSA] South Asian Workers Protest in Dubai: comment and reports


[Labour Notes South Asia
Year 7, Dispatch No. 810, November 1, 2007 ]

o o o

The Post
November 1, 2007
Editorial

Voiceless in Dubai

The deportation of hundreds of Asian labourers 
working in Dubai by the UAE government and its 
intention to expel many more after the workers 
staged a strike at the weekend over poor wages, 
harsh working conditions and squalid living 
arrangements has caused concern in the workers' 
home countries, including Pakistan. The issue 
calls for the attention of not only their 
countries of origin, but also international 
organisations charged with the protection of 
labour rights and the well-being of workers, 
migrant or local. The UAE government has accused 
the striking workers of illegally occupying and 
vandalising buildings besides pelting stones at 
police and vehicles. What the government of the 
UAE has failed to mention is that the unrest has 
been on the rise among the 1.7 million labour 
force in recent years, 90 percent of whom happen 
to be from South Asian countries. The number of 
work-related accidental deaths in the booming 
round-the-clock construction industry has by now 
run into the hundreds, while incidents of suicide 
too have been reported among the frustrated 
workers. The migrant workers, travelling to the 
Gulf states with dreams of building a brighter 
future for themselves and their families through 
sweat and toil, are forced to live in cramped 
quarters, their travel documents are confiscated 
in sheer violation of the laws, their wages 
payments are often in arrears and their 
protection against abuse, discrimination and 
exploitation is severely hampered in the face of 
a judicial system distinguished only in the 
absence of due process and renowned for being 
skewed against residents of foreign origin. 
Migrant workers, especially female and child 
domestic servants, face intimidation and 
violence, including sexual assault, at the hands 
of employers, supervisors, sponsors, the police 
and security forces. The oil-rich Gulf countries 
represent states with the apparent façade of a 
modern state but totally devoid of such states' 
protections to workers against exploitation and 
injustice.

The fact that the migrant workers have risen in 
protest in a milieu not known for valuing 
fundamental civil freedoms and rights underlines 
the severity of the situation. The economic value 
of the migrant workers is obvious both for the 
host as well as their home countries, but it is 
ironic that the World Bank or ILO should 
knuckle-rap poor countries for not conforming to 
international labour standards day in and day out 
but turn a blind eye when it comes to rich 
countries with a grimmer situation. The Migrant 
Workers Convention, operative since the turn of 
the century, guarantees migrants' human rights 
and promises state protection against abuse by 
employers, agents and public officials. This 
landmark convention, ratified by 22 states, has 
yet to be adopted by most Gulf countries. It is 
also intriguing that the vernacular media, so 
vociferous in identifying incidents of real or 
perceived racial discrimination in the 
much-berated Western societies, should keep mum 
when it comes to reporting ill-treatment of our 
countrymen in the Gulf states. Similarly, the 
South Asian states that are prone to raise the 
banner of their sovereignty at the drop of a hat, 
have singularly failed to address such stark 
abuse of their citizens. In fact, 
less-than-egalitarian states are willing 
collaborators of human and labour rights 
violations as long as the remittances from 
migrant workers help put an artificial gloss on 
their economic performance indicators. If 
sensitivity to issues concerning human welfare is 
the line separating prosperity from civilization, 
then it is time the plight of migrant workers in 
the Gulf be paid serious attention to.

o o o

#2.

The Hindu
Nov 01, 2007

90 Indians facing prosecution in Dubai

Atul Aneja

They are accused of direct involvement in Saturday's violence

- Photo: AP

RELIEF FOR MANY: Construction workers carry their 
belongings as they return to the Pauling Middle 
East labour camp in Jebel Ali Wednesday.

DUBAI: Authorities here have released most of the 
4,500 Asian workers detained after their protests 
for higher wages turned violent on Saturday. 
However, 159 workers, including 90 Indians, are 
facing prosecution as they have been accused of 
direct involvement in the violence.

A majority of those released resumed work on 
Wednesday after furnishing bonds that they would 
abide by the terms of their existing contracts. 
As many as 3,900 of the 4,500 held were Indians, 
hailing mainly from Punjab, Rajasthan and Andhra 
Pradesh.

The protesters belonged to a construction company 
operating in Dubai's sprawling Jebel Ali Free 
Zone. The situation turned ugly on Saturday 
evening when a section of the workers attacked 
police vehicles, disrupted traffic and damaged 
public property.

The workers were arrested in the early hours of 
Sunday. They were taken to the Al Awir jail on 
the outskirts of the city. The Indian embassy in 
Abu Dhabi and the consulate in Dubai intervened 
to defuse the crisis.

"Our first aim was to ensure that there were no 
mass deportations following the unfortunate 
incident on Saturday. Fortunately, the 
authorities in Dubai were also convinced that 
only those individuals who had indulged in the 
violence directly should face any punitive 
action," Talmiz Ahmad, Indian ambassador to the 
United Arab Emirates (UAE), told The Hindu.

Mr. Ahmad pointed out that Saturday's violence 
appeared "spontaneous" as the workers of the 
construction company had not aired their 
grievances either before officials of the 
consulate, the Labour Ministry or members of 
voluntary organisations who stay in touch with 
the Indian community in the labour camps.
Contracts in focus

Analysts point out that labour laws in the UAE 
have evolved, but more attention needed to be 
paid on the contracts governing salaries and 
working conditions of employees operating in the 
economic free zones.

So far, the contract in the free zone, such as 
the one existing in Jebel Ali, is signed only 
between employers and employees. In general, its 
copy is neither sent to the UAE's Labour Ministry 
nor the Indian embassy or consulate for 
attestation. Because the contract is usually 
drafted in Arabic, Indian workers, unacquainted 
with the language, end up signing it, often 
without the full knowledge of its contents. 
Consequently, they become parties to a binding 
contract, on terms which they later find hard to 
implement.

Sources in a voluntary organisation that operates 
in labour camps, but did not wish to be 
identified, said that unskilled workers in the 
UAE earn a monthly salary anywhere between Dirham 
650 (approximately Rs.7,000) and Dirham 800 
(around Rs 8,500).

However, the rising inflation in the country is 
drying up the saving capacity, especially among 
blue collar expatriates, sharply increasing 
financial and social pressures on them.

o o o

#3.

aljazeera.net
OCTOBER 31, 2007
.
Dubai strikers released from prison

Dubai authorities had not previously
indicated any workers had been imprisoned [AFP]
More than 4,000 labourers from south Asia, who 
were imprisoned for taking part in a strike 
against poor working conditions in Dubai, have 
been released.

India's ambassador to the UAE said 160 workers, 
including 90 Indian nationals, remained in 
custody in Dubai's central prison after 
authorities determined they had participated in 
violence during the strike at the weekend.

Tahmiz Ahmad said most of the roughly 4,000 to 
4,500 Asian workers who were released on 
Wednesday had no remaining grievances with their 
employers and had returned to work

Strikes and the formation of unions are illegal in the UAE.

Police and Dubai government officials could not 
be immediately reached for comment.

Authorities had not previously announced that any 
workers had been imprisoned after the weekend 
strike.

Speaking to a local newspaper on Tuesday however 
a senior labour ministry official did indicate 
many of those involved in the strike could be 
deported.

Low pay

In the Indian capital Delhi on Wednesday, a 
spokesman for India's ministry of external 
affairs, Navtej Sarna, said officials there were 
not aware of thousands of people having been 
detained until Wednesday, and believed only about 
140 people remained in custody Wednesday, 
including 90 Indians.

There was no immediate explanation for the 
discrepancy between the numbers from Indian 
officials in the Emirates and in New Delhi.

Ali bin Abdullah al-Kaabi, the minister for 
labour in the UAE, has called the workers' 
behavior "uncivilised," saying they were 
tampering with national security and endangering 
residents' safety.

The thousands of construction workers went on 
strike on Saturday and Sunday over harsh working 
conditions, including low pay and rising prices 
in Dubai.

While laborers have long complained about working 
conditions in this Gulf their recent actions come 
as contractors are struggling to find enough 
workers, after a government amnesty prompted many 
illegal Asian workers to leave Dubai.

Construction workers toil for long hours in the 
desert emirate, where temperatures exceed 45C in 
the summer, and humidity is stifling for most of 
the year.

o o o

#4.

Gulf News
October 31, 2007

800 arrested workers remain in custody

By Sunita Menon and Wafa Issa, Staff Reporters

Dubai: Some 800 workers who took part in 
Saturday's violent protest are still in custody, 
said the Dubai Police chief.

The workers, from two different companies, were 
detained on Sunday following the protests where 
police vehicles and public property were 
vandalised and stones were thrown.

Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Chief of 
Dubai Police told Gulf News that 4,200 workers 
out of the 5000 detained workers went back to 
work yesterday while the remaining number is 
still in custody.

"We are continuing our investigations and the 
workers who engaged in vandalism will face 
prosecution as per UAE law," said Dahi adding 
that solid evidence is available against more 
than 40 suspects.

Among the remaining detained workers are 
illegals, those who wish to cancel their work 
permits and those who the companies no longer 
wish to keep, he said.

Talmiz Ahmad, Indian Ambassador to the UAE said 
workers directly involved in violence have been 
identified and will be penalised. "There were 159 
workers who were identified of which 90 were 
Indians. They will be prosecuted."

He said most of the workers have no grievances 
and want to go back to work. "We got in touch 
with the company and they too did not have any 
problem to take the workers back.

An undertaking stating that they will not be 
involved in any violence in the future, respect 
law and adhere to the law of the country was 
taken from them," he said.

o o o

#5.
BBC News - Oct 28, 2007

Dubai construction workers strike

Thousands of foreign construction workers in the 
Gulf state of Dubai have gone on strike over pay 
and conditions.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7066853.stm

_________________________________

Labour Notes South Asia (LNSA):
An informal archive and mailing list for trade
unionists and labour activists based in or
working on South asia.

LNSA Mailing List:
Labour Notes South Asia
To subscribe send a blank message to:
<lnsa-subscribe at yahoogroups.com>

LNSA Web site:
groups.yahoo.com/group/lnsa/

Run by The South Asia Citizens Web
www.sacw.net
_________________________________



__._,_.___ 
Messages in this topic (1) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic 
Messages 
To join the Labour Notes South Asia Mailing List, send a blank message to:   lnsa-subscribe at yahoogroups.com
To Unsubscribe, send a blank message to: lnsa-unsubscribe at yahoogroups.com 
 
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required) 
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch format to Traditional 
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe Recent Activity
  a..  1New Members
Visit Your Group 
Yahoo! News
Fashion News

What's the word on

fashion and style?

Yahoo! Finance
It's Now Personal

Guides, news,

advice & more.

Holidays with Y!
Fly home on us.

Win free airline

tickets now.
. 
__,_._,___ 


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition. 
Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.15.17/1103 - Release Date: 1-11-2007 6:01