Worker Unrest

The problem of worker unrest in Dubai and the rest of the UAE is a very fluid one. That is, we are seeing an unusual amount of activity...

• on the part of the laborers who have begun to stage protests
  
• and on the part of the government as it responds to such protests and attempts to enact measures to both alleviate and control the situation.

It should be no surprise that such protests have occurred in Dubai Marina—notably on April 26, when employees of Al Ahmadiyah Contracting Company staged violent protests at their 2000-man strong worksite and refused to return to work the following day. Violence was limited to destruction of some onsite property, an act which seemed to mirror an even larger protest which took place a month earlier on one of Dubai’s largest building sites, the 160+ storey Burj Dubai. (Photo: AFP/Getty Images)

Dubai Marina is at present the largest active construction site in Dubai, and although not mentioned in news reports the recent protest there most likely took place at the Jumeirah Beach Residences complex—the single largest project in the Marina. The recent trend is that wherever there are large numbers of workers gathered there is a greater likelihood of organized protest of some sort.

These events bring to fore a number of questions:

• Will there be more protests?
  
  Yes, certainly. Government officials like to suggest that there is an organized mafia of sorts behind these events. I would suggest that this reflects police tendency in the UAE to always look for a culprit. The reality is that a precedent for protest has already been set. This alone is enough to embolden many laborers to stand up for what are often justifiable rights.
  
  
• Will there be more violent protests?
  
  Yes, probably, but I would not expect any escalation in frequency or intensity. The violence, unprecedented as it has been, reflects pent-up frustration and a seizing of the opportunity. But as workers begin to see the negative consequences that resorting to violence brings about, both for the individuals who are prosecuted and for their cause at-large, they will better appreciate the benefit of non-destructive, albeit vocal protests.
  
  
• Is the situation for laborers getting better or worse?
  
  One would expect that the situation is improving. Their plight, as it is often referred to, has gotten much attention, not only since large-scale protests began in mid-2005 but over the past several years as newspapers have detailed the many issues these workers face in almost daily reports, commentary or readers’ letters.

Such attention to laborers’ problems has already brought about government action, especially in Dubai. One of the earliest government edicts was a prohibition on transporting workers—like cattle—in open-back lorries, which had been the common practice. Next, standards for worker accommodations were codified, although sparingly enforced. In mid-2005 an outside work-ban from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. during the hottest months of summer was enacted and widely enforced. Later in the year a worker’s hotline was established by authorities which reportedly has been well-utilized with a number of disputes having been settled as a result.

Yet, with all that has been going on of late to improve worker’s conditions, the most serious issues remain. These include...

• poor and often inhumane housing conditions
  
• extremely low salaries and instances of non-payment
  
• and something which seems to be talked about more now than before, harsh treatment meted out by supervisors and others in charge.

The fact is that it is the companies which employ the laborers that are arguably most at fault for the hardships workers face. This warrants a closer look in a separate post. Save it to say now that it is clearly a situation of exploitation, especially when builders and contractors are in a position today to secure well-padded contracts due to a huge demand for new project starts. There, in fact, exists a severe shortage of contractors to meet the growing demand (see previous post, Construction Crunch; photo: Construction Week 2_06).

The government is doing something to address these concerns, but arguably not enough. Unfortunately some officials even resort to saying it is companies that are doing wrong and therefore these issues are not the concern of government. This, of course, is preposterous, and it does not for the most part reflect actual practice or philosophy on the part of the government.

It is certainly within the rights of workers to petition and protest for better and fairer treatment. To the workers' benefit the international media have begun to examine these issues. This will exert even more pressure on the UAE government to improve conditions. As a result, we will continue to see movement. There will be more protests and strikes and the government will continue to offer pronouncements that will eventually have a favorable impact on the position of workers.

Gulf News and other UAE dailies report extensively on the problems faced by construction workers and the recent spate of protests. One of its latest reports indicate that officials in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, from where most of the latest wave of labour immigrants come, are suggesting that there is a spillover in Dubai from its own troubles with Maoist activists, known as Naxalites. One Indian official counters, however, "Ex-Naxals are not planners. They are rural people and lack organisational skills." The article, Ex-Naxals not seen behind violent protests, presents a number of interesting statistics on current demographics among the labour population.

READ MORE: Gulf News Special Report, Labour in the UAE

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