Pay protest sparks RAK company u-turn

PAY PROTEST: Construction company reverses wage deduction after labourers protested. (Getty Images)

Hundreds of construction workers in Ras Al Khaimah protested on Wednesday after deductions were taken from their salaries.

Labourers voted to stay away from work after an average of 500 dirhams ($136) was deducted when their wages reached their banks accounts.

A senior official at the construction company said once the management of the company learnt about the protest, the company's decision was reverted, UAE daily Gulf News reported on Thursday.

The official said the labourers were hired by a Dubai-based company and that the decision to deduct their salary was suggested by that company.

The unnamed company had hired about 5,000 labourers from the recruitment company which officially asked the it to deduct about 30 per cent of the laborers salaries for six months and keep that money as guarantee.

The hiring company wanted that money to be put on hold as the company pays 3,000 dirhams ($816) for each absconding case.

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Questions, questions
Posted by The Consultant, Dubai, UAE on Thursday 28 August 2008 at 15:11 UAE time

The story begs a couple of questions - why would the "recruitment company" have any long-term responsibility for workers it has obtained for its client? Surely they should be under the client's sponsorship? Alternatively, if they have been sub-contracted then the recruiter should also remain responsible for paying the workers directly and rebilling the cost + markup to the client?

And why would the recruiting company be so worried about absconders? If the men are given their promised wages and entitlements on time with no funny business, they would have no reason to abscond.....

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