100 labourers arrested after thousands riot

PROTESTS CONTINUE: As many as 100 labourers have been arrested after thousands went on a rampage over low wages. Picture for illustrative purposes only. (AFP)

As many as 100 people have been detained after thousands of labourers went on a violent rampage in their camp last week over low wages - the second large-scale riot by UAE construction workers in under a month.

Police made the arrests after riots on Tuesday and again on Thursday at the camp in Jebel Ali, Dubai, during which company property was damaged, UAE daily Gulf News reported, citing police sources.

Police said the situation was now under control.

More than 3,000 mostly Indian labourers are still being detained for a riot at their accommodation in the UAE emirate of Ras Al-Khaimah on July 4 to protest against living conditions.

During the riot - which Indian officials have said was the work of a “small group” - a manager, security guards and workers were beaten up.

The violence is the latest unrest to hit construction sites in the UAE, where hundreds of thousands of mostly Asian low-paid labourers are employed.

The riots, which have multiplied since last year despite a ban on public protests, have been mainly over low or withheld pay and poor living conditions.

It is thought that blue-collar workers make up two thirds of the estimated 1.5 million UAE-resident Indians who form the largest expatriate community.

UAE nationals make up only about 15 percent or around 800,000 out of a population of 5.6 million, according to a recent unofficial study.

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READERS' COMMENTS

Labor protests
Posted by Mike, Dubai, UAE on Monday 21 July 2008 at 01:00 UAE time

It is obvious that some people drive these guys to riot for their own benefits. Why only recently, last couple of years, we started to have such riots??? in my opinion it is too dangerous and a big threat to the UAE national security to rely on cheap labour from one country. It is now a must that labour from other countries should be considered.

100 workers arrested
Posted by Pankaj, dubai, UAE on Sunday 20 July 2008 at 13:03 UAE time

It is clear that the UAE government can no longer continue to bury its head in the sand and hope that the problem of low paid workers protesting will go away.

What prevents them from issuing an edict specifying a minimum wage for the workers or handing out stiff punishments to employers who do not pay workers on time or make them work excessively long hours or force them to live in inhuman conditions or eat below standard food?

Is asking for minimum needs to be granted asking for too much? I hope not.

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