A riot at a
Dubai labour camp was sparked by company security guards assaulting a number of
labourers, the Consul General of India has confirmed.
Sanjay
Verma said that the guards assaulted workers at a labour camp run by Jebel
Ali-based Jams HR Solutions, after they asked for a pay rise, better working
conditions and new security arrangements.
The
situation escalated from there as the 2,500 workers, mostly from India and
Nepal, damaged property and buses. Dubai police were called in to prevent the
situation from escalating further out of control.
An official
from the company told the Associated Press the riot had caused ‘huge’ damage to
the camp, damaging 40 buses.
According
to Verma, a number of labourers were injured during the riot and taken to
hospital. Their condition has been reported as stable, he said.
The company
declined to confirm these comments when contacted.
Verma said
that the Indian Consulate intervened again on the morning of January 2, to
persuade the protesting workers to leave the camp and resume work.
A Jams HR
representative had agreed to consider the labourers’ demands, which include the
replacement of the security guards, Verma said.
“We
understand that officials of the Labour Department are in touch with company
representatives to address the concerns of the workers for better working
facilities, as stipulated in their labour contract and for ensuring better
security at the labour camp,” Verma said.
A
spokesperson from the Dubai Police declined to comment.
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