Source: http://pantheon.hrw.org/reports/2006/uae1106/5.htm
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 12:12:12+00:00

Document:
Under the UAE Labor Law, employers must pay certain fees to the government for each foreign worker they recruit into the country. These fees include an employment visa request fee of 200 dirhams (AED)($55) and an employment visa issuance fee of 1,000 AED ($273).31 In addition, employers must provide an airline ticket to migrant workers to travel from their home countries to the UAE.
Workers Human Rights Watch interviewed confirmed the same facts: every single construction worker interviewed said he had been required to pay up-front travel and visa fees to his recruiting agent.
The most common complaint from construction workers in the UAE, which also appears to form the basis of the vast majority of labor disputes reviewed by the Ministry of Labor and the Dubai labor agencies (see below, Government Mechanisms Addressing Labor Disputes), is the withholding of wages by employers. All 60 of the workers interviewed by Human Rights Watch said that their employers routinely withheld their wages, and many of the workers we spoke to were owed back wages at the time of the interview. The impact on workers whose wages are withheld for even one month is very serious: they immediately fall into arrears on the debt they owe recruiting agencies in their home countries; they incur additional interest; and they are unable to send money home to their families, who depend on the income earned in the UAE. In some cases, the non-payment of wages means that workers do not have money to buy food or basic goods and end up borrowing money just to survive.
Prior to the September strike, the company hadnt paid us for four months. We purchased food from a canteen at our labor camp. In September, the canteen stopped giving us credit, and we were completely out of money. That was the final straw that compelled us to take decisive action.
Amongst ourselves, we argued that either we will get deported because of our strike action or it will result in recovering our unpaid wages. We didnt have a choice; we were willing to risk it.
But as of today, not only havent we received payment for the other two months, we are owed another month of wages since the strike. The company deported the strike leaders. Since the strike things have worsened.
I earn a fixed salary of 750 AED [$204] monthly for six days of work. The management compels us to work for 11 hours a day with no overtime. I leave the camp at six in the morning and return at seven in the evening.
The non-payment of wages in the construction sector appears to be particularly widespread in small companies that employ fewer than 100 workers, as illustrated in the following cases.
We have not been paid for the past five months, from September 2005 to February 2006. There are 23 of us in this situation. We have filed a complaint with the Permanent Committee for Labor Affairs in Dubai.
in exchange for releasing us.
Since December 15, 2005, the company says they dont have any work for us. The company offered to transfer us to another employer. I went and talked to the workers for this new company, and they told me why do I want to work there? They said they themselves havent been paid for four to six months.
I arrived in Dubai in November 2003. We worked for a small company who sponsored us and brought us here. We built one warehouse and two villas. Since getting here we have lived at the construction sites. We were paid 600 AED ($163) per month.
In addition to being denied their wages, workers who are abandoned by their employers face perilous conditions. Human Rights Watch interviewed 23 construction workers living in a labor camp belonging to East Coast & Hamriah Company in Sharjah. The camp was comprised of several trailers in decrepit conditions: the toilets were overflowing, and electricity to the camp had been cut off because the company had not paid its bills. The workers feared that the government would deport them as their employment visas were directly tied to their employer.
The workers for the East Coast & Hamriah Company provided Human Rights Watch with copies of court papers showing verdicts against the company. The Sharjah Court had ruled that the company owes its workers sums ranging from 10,037 AED ($2,733) to 21,402 AED ($5,827).55 But none of the workers have been able to collect any of their dues.
For the past year, we have trekked many times to the Sharjah Court asking the authorities to implement the verdict. But they say there is nothing more they can do, Banwari said. We will wait here for the company to pay us until we die or we will commit suicide, he added, summing up their frustrations and desperation.56 The court rulings in the case did not impose any financial or custodial penalty on the employer, as required by UAE law (see below).
Low wages are another of the main grievances of construction workers. The government has been unwilling to put in place a minimum wage, despite a mandate in law dating from 1980 (this is discussed further in the section UAE Labor Law, below).
I work at the Burj Dubai site. I earn 38 AED [$10.50] for eight hours of work daily. My pay is higher than workers who arrived recently because I have been with the company for 11 years. New workers are paid 28 AED [$7.60] daily and they are unhappy about it.
By withholding workers passports, employers exercise an unreasonable degree of control over their workers. Despite the fact that both government officials and UAE courts have reiterated the unlawfulness of this practice, the government has not taken any steps to put an end to it.
The extent of death and injury of migrant workers is one of the most troubling, if poorly documented, aspects of the construction sector in the UAE. As described below, there appear to be no official countrywide government figures on cases of death and injury of construction workers. The few figures available from government sources cover only Dubai, and even these figures appear to be well below the figures compiled by private sources. This discrepancy in numbers can be attributed in part to the extremely low incidence of companies reporting deaths and injuries to the government.
Dubai Municipality recorded 34 deaths of construction workers at their workplaces in 2004 and 39 deaths in 2005.75 Independent research by a construction trade publication, Construction Week, found that a total of 880 migrant construction workers died in the UAE in 2004: 460 from India, 375 from Pakistan and approximately forty-five from Bangladesh.76 While the Construction Week report did not provide information regarding the cause of death so it is unclear how many were work-related accidents, an official with the Indian Community Welfare Committee, K. Kumar, told Construction Week that he believed up to 30 percent of the deaths of the Indians in the report were related to site accidents.77 The Construction Week investigation provided some breakdown of the information by emirate, citing Indian embassy and consular records of 292 Indian construction worker deaths in Dubai and the northern emirates and 168 in Abu Dhabi, so extrapolating from Kumars 30 percent estimate would mean that of 138 Indians who died in site accidents in 2004, 88 were in Dubai and the northern emirates. Given that Dubais construction boom far outpaces the rest of the northern emirates, it is difficult to reconcile the likelihood that a high proportion of these estimated 88 Indian deaths were in Dubai with the 34 worksite deaths officially reported there, for all nationalities.
An official at the Indian consulate in Dubai told Human Rights Watch that it has registered 971 death cases in 2005, of which 61 are registered as site accidents. Again, this contrasts sharply with the 39 deaths recorded that year by the Dubai government for all nationalities.
A serious health hazard faced by construction workers is the extreme climatic conditions. The mean maximum temperatures in the UAE during the months of April to September are well above 90oF (32oC), with humidity in excess of 80 percent.78 For the construction workers who spend the vast majority of their time working under such conditions, heat-related illnesses are a manifestation of dangerous working conditions. The heat and humidity are considered a health hazard especially during the months of July and August, when temperatures regularly peak above 100oF (38oC).
Moreover, the afternoon break rules have not been adopted on a permanent basis. In May 2006, the UAE Contractors Association (UAECA) lobbied the government to repeal the 2005 decree because the re-introduction of the ban this year would create major problems for the sector.87 In July 2006, the Ministry of Labor announced that it had curtailed the midday break to between 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.88 At a press conference to announce the change, when asked about the reduction in hours, Minister of Labor Ali bin Abdullah Al Kaabi said, The contractors should be asked about the reduction in the hours, as they are the ones who have decided the timings.89 The ministers reply is a clear indication of the construction industrys ability to influence labor laws and regulations without regard for the health and safety of workers.
On July 14, 2006, in a letter to the minister of labor, Human Rights Watch asked for information regarding the death and injury rates of construction workers throughout the country and the discrepancy between government figures for death and injury in Dubai (the only official figures publicly available) and the ones reported by Construction Week. The reply received from the UAE government at the end of September did not address this.
In a visit to the government-run Kuwaiti Hospital in Sharjah on February 21, 2006, Human Rights Watch found two men, one an illegal worker and the status of the other worker unknown, hospitalized due to accidents at construction sites. Both had been dumped at the hospital by their employers who did not identify themselves to the hospital authorities.
The seriousness of Chekallis injuries meant that he was paralyzed. He would be returning to India without receiving any compensation for his work-related injuries.
The other patient we met had been transferred from Al Kasima Hospital that same day. He was identifiably also Indian, but no one knew his name or what had happened to him. According to his doctor, he appeared to have suffered a serious head injury. When our researcher tried to interview the patient, the man was confused and incoherent. He could not recall what had happened to him and when asked about his employer or any associates, he kept turning to his pillow, looking for a piece of paper that was not there. His doctor said that he is probably suffering from memory loss. It was not clear who would take care of his return to India, since no information about him was known.
26 Interview with manager of a construction company in Dubai who wished to remain anonymous, May 8, 2006.
28 Interview withrecruitment agents, Dubai, September 5, 2006.
29 Human Rights Watch interview with Abdulla Saeed Saif Bin Suloom Alfalasi, head of the Work Permit Department in the Ministry of Labor, Dubai, February 22, 2006.
31 Council of Ministers Resolution No. 7 for 2002, Regarding Consolidation of Fees and Penalties Administered by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, http://www.mol.gov.ae/PAges-EN/documents-en/FeesAndFines.htm#A (accessed August 8, 2006), art. 1.
Federal Law No. 8 For 1980, On Regulation od Labor Relations, http://www.mol.gov.ae/Pages-EN/documents-en/rule-labour.HTML (accessed August 30, 2006) art. 18 states: No licensed employment agent or labour supplier shall demand or accept from any worker, whether before or after the latters admission to employment, any commission or material reward in return for employment, or charge him for any expenses thereby incurred, except as may be prescribed or approved by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
33 Telephone Interview with recruitment agency official, identity withheld, Dubai, September 5, 2006.
34 Telephone Interview with recruitment agency official, identity withheld, Dubai, September 6, 2006.
35 Telephone interview with head of a labor supply company, identity withheld, Dubai, September 6, 2006.
36 Human Rights Watch interview with Nataranjan, Dubai, February 19, 2006.
37 Human Rights Watch interview with Sattar, Dubai, February 24, 2006.
38 Human Rights Watch telephone interview with Ali, Abu Dhabi, April 3, 2006.
39 Human Rights Watch interview with workers of Al Biladi Construction Company, Dubai, February 20, 2006.
40 Human Rights Watch interview with Nandi, Al Quoz labor camp, February 22, 2006.
41 Human Rights Watch telephone interview with Ali, Abu Dhabi, April 3, 2006.
42 Following a recent protest by hundreds of unpaid workers for a Sharjah-based company, a company official was quoted in the local media as saying We only hold back salary for 45 days as surety in case of runaways. See Mahmoud Saberi, Hundreds Protest Over Non-payment of Wages, Gulf News, August 29, 2006.
43 Federal Law No. 8 for 1980, On Regulation of Labor Relations, article 56 states, Workers employed on yearly or monthly wage basis shall be paid at least once a month; all other workers shall be paid at least once every two weeks. Article 58 of the same law states, Evidence of payment to workers of their due wages, irrespective of their amount or nature, shall not be admissible unless it is in the form of documentary proof, admission or oath. See Ministry of Labor website, http://www.mol.gov.ae/Pages-EN/documents-en/rule-labour.HTML (accessed August 30, 2006).
44 The managing director of a construction company in the UAE told our researcher that depending on the type and size of the companies, some contractors find themselves facing cash flow problems due to a variety of reasons. During the nineties, contractors worked on very low margins (2-3 % of revenue) and thus maintaining cash flow was essential for their survival. It has often been that contractors working for the government sector found themselves waiting for 120 to 180 days to get paid which meant a major cash squeeze. To add insult to injury, contractors were not regulated properly in terms of financial ability and there are still no credit ratings for companies in this part of the world. All this has since changed in the UAE as of 2004 when the construction boom started in Dubai creating perhaps an unprecedented oasis for contractors. Demand has outstripped supply to such a large extent that every contractor I am aware of is working on very high margins. Long gone are the days that contractors wait for payments. Email correspondence with managing director of a construction company, identity withheld, August 25, 2006.
45 Al Hamed Enterprises website, http://www.alhamed.com/ahdcinfo.htm (accessed October 3, 2006).
47 Workers block Sheikh Zayed Road; Firm told to pay in 24 hours, Gulf News.
48 Sunita Menon and Diaa Hadid, Ministry cracks the whip, Gulf News, September 20, 2005.
49 Workers block Sheikh Zayed Road; Firm told to pay in 24 hours, Gulf News.
50 Human Rights Watch telephone interview with Ali, Abu Dhabi, April 3, 2006.
51 Letter from Ambassador Abdulaziz Nasser Al-Shamsi to Human Rights Watch.
52 Human Rights Watch interview with Mahmoud , Dubai, February 20, 2006.
53 Human Rights Watch interview with Sattar, Dubai, February 19, 2006.
54 Human Rights Watch interview with Banwari, Sharjah, February 25, 2006.
55 According to court documents obtained by Human Rights Watch regarding Lawsuit # 63/2005, Maneer Singh v. East Coast & Hamriah Co., Sharjah Federal Court of First Instance required the defendant to pay the sum of AED 10,037 to the plaintiff and to pay for the plaintiffs plane ticket to his home country.
According to Lawsuit #335/2005, Shanan Ram Beiru Ram v. East Coast & Hamriah Co., Sharjah Federal Court of First Instance required the defendant to pay AED 21,402 to the plaintiff and to pay for the plaintiffs plane ticket to his home country.
56 Human Rights Watch interview with Banwari, February 25, 2006.
57 Human Rights Watch interview with a former project manager for East Coast & Hamriah Company, identity withheld, Dubai, February 25, 2005.
58 Letter from Ambassador Abdulaziz Nasser Al-Shamsi to Human Rights Watch.
59 Human Rights Watch interview with Nataranjan, February 19, 2006.
61 The UAE Ministry of Labor sets forth its Conditions for sponsorship transfer approval on its website, http://www.mol.gov.ae/Pages-en/ForeignLabourerInstructions.aspx, (accessed August 30, 2006).
64 Human Rights Watch interview with Nataranjan, February 19, 2006.
65 Fattah, In Dubai, an outcry from Asians for workplace rights, New York Times.
66 Human Rights Watch telephone interview with S. Kumar, Dubai, April 3, 2006.
68 Giuffrida and Egbert, Was the Besix strike the tipping point for UAE labor, Construction Week.
70 Angela Giuffrida, Besix workers are sent home, Construction Week, May 27, 2006.
71 Human Rights Watch interviewed 107 migrant workers including 60 construction workers.
72 Human Rights Watch interview with Lt. Col. Rashid Bakhit Al Jumairi, February 21, 2006.
73 Human Rights Watch interview with Maj. Aref Mohammad Baqer, Dubai, February 25, 2006.
74 Ruling by Dubai Court of Cassation, Case # 268 (2001), October 27, 2001.
75 Diaa Hadid, Construction deaths and accidents leap, Gulf News, January 17, 2006.
76 Site worker death toll exceeds 800, Construction Week, No. 83, August 6-19, 2005. Their investigation calculated fatality figures for migrant workers by compiling data recorded by the embassies of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, countries that have the largest number of workers in the construction sector.
78 National Atlas of the United Arab Emirates (University of the United Arab Emirates, 1993) and Temperature and Humidity in Dubai, http://www.godubai.com/explore/whatshot.asp (accessed May 25, 2006).
79 Dubai chapter of World Safety Organization meeting attended by Human Rigths Watch, Dubai, February 23, 2006.
80 Many Victims of heatstroke are not being accurately diagnosed by A&E hospital staff, Construction Week, No. 83, August 6-19, 2005.
81 Facts about UAE Hospital Fatality Figures Revealed, Construction Week, No. 83, August 6-19, 2005.
82 Anjana Sankar, Law banning construction work in afternoons urged, Khaleej Times, June 10, 2005.
83 Ministerial Resolution No. 467 for 2005, http://www.mol.gov.ae/Pages-EN/documents-en/WorkHoursPlaces-EN.htm#page6 (accessed August 11, 2006).
84 Diaa Hadid, Companies devise ways to flout midday break rule, Gulf News, July 29, 2005.
85 Diaa Hadid, 60% of companies ignored noon break, Gulf News, August 31, 2005.
87 Conrad Egbert, Contractors lobby against noon ban, Construction Week, May 13, 2006.
88 Conrad Egbert, Contractors allowed to choose hours of the ban, Construction Week, July 15, 2006.
90 Diaa Hadid, Work-related accidents and deaths going unreported, Gulf News, November 21, 2005.
91 Federal Law No. 8 for 1980, On Regulation of Labor Relations, http://www.mol.gov.ae/Pages-EN/documents-en/rule-labour.HTML (accessed August 30, 2006), art. 142; and Ministerial Order No.(32) Year 1982 RE The Determination of retentive Methods and Measures For the Protection of Workers From the Risks Work.
92 Hadid, Work-related accidents and deaths going unreported, Gulf News.
93 Ibid. The source also noted Dubai municipality figures of 39 deaths and 175 injuries for 2005.
94 See, for example, Facts about UAE Hospital Fatality Figures Revealed, Construction Week, No. 83, August 19, 2005.
95 Federal Law No. 8 for 1980, On Regulation of Labor Relations, http://www.mol.gov.ae/Pages-EN/documents-en/rule-labour.HTML (accessed August 30, 2006), art. 167.
96 Ivan Gale, Ministry to intensify labour inspections, Gulf News, September 8, 2006.
97 Human Rights Watch interview with Indian social activist, identity withhold, February 21, 2006.
98 Human Rights Watch interview with Indian businessman who wished to remain anonymous, Kuwaiti Hospital, Sharjah, February 21, 2006.
99 Human Rights Watch interview with Syed Mubarak, Dubai, February 21, 2006.
100 Human Rights Watch interview with labor camp manager, identity withheld, Sonapar, Dubai, February 24, 2006.
102 Human Rights watch interview with Jakir, Sonapar, Dubai, February 24, 2006.
103 Human Rights watch interview with labor camp manager, Sonapar, Dubai.
104 Worker borrowed to buy stamp for suicide letter, Construction Week, No. 83, August 6-19, 2005.

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