4,000 Indians jailed in Dubai for demanding better pay

GOTFIVEONIT · #1 (**permalink**) 10-30-2007, 02:58 PM

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BEHIND BARS: The consulate officials have visited the jails to enquire about the welfare of the prisoners.

4,000 Indians jailed in Dubai for demanding better pay

CNN-IBN

Published on Wednesday, October 31, 2007 at 01:51

New Delhi: Around 4,000 Indians working in the Jebel Ali Industrial area in Dubai have been jailed for allegedly protesting violently for better pay.

The Indian Consul for Labour and Welfare has confirmed that none of the workers have been deported yet. He said the management of the company have agreed to send the labourers back to work if they promised not to indulge in violence again.

But the company has said police in Dubai had filmed some of the workers inciting violence, and those workers would be deported.

The Indian Consul General in the United Arab Emirates has said he is in touch with Government authorities there.

Meanwhile, the consulate officials have been regularly visiting the jails to enquire about the welfare of the prisoners including those currently held there after the labour unrest.

The labourers, most of them from Rajasthan, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh, had struck work and resorted to violence last weekend over poor working conditions and low pay.

A senior Labour Ministry official in Abu Dhabi had warned that all violent protestors will be booked and deported. The protestors were demanding wages higher than the current Dh 600 ($160.98), better living conditions and transport facilities.

The workers were hit by appreciating rupee, high cost of living and low pay which reduced their savings to almost nothing.

According to reports, the Indian Government may negotiate with the Gulf countries regarding minimum wage for workers to find a permanent solution to the problem.

Variable · #2 (**permalink**) 10-30-2007, 04:42 PM

*Eagerly awaits Arabesque's reply*

MossadConspiracy · #3 (**permalink**) 10-30-2007, 04:45 PM

They shouldve come to America (I'm sure they would have if they could)

REAL TALK

GOTFIVEONIT · #4 (**permalink**) 10-31-2007, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MossadConspiracy

They shouldve come to America (I'm sure they would have if they could)

REAL TALK

everyone wants to come here. many think if they goto the gulf first, it would be a stepping stone toward 'amreeka'.

GOTFIVEONIT · #5 (**permalink**) 10-31-2007, 11:47 AM

im not trying to bash dubai by posting this. obviously greedy companies use third world migrants as cheap labor. and the dubai govt in the past has done alot to enforce proper labor laws. the situation here is, that the protests turned violent, basically into a riot, and 4,000 migrant workers ended up in jail because of it. not because of the protests itself. the truth is dubai is the hong kong of the middle east. what the sultan there has done to improve the economy overnight is pretty daam amazing. today dubai's oil revenues only account for 10% of thier citie's income

Arabesque · #6 (**permalink**) 10-31-2007, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Variable

*Eagerly awaits Arabesque's reply*

What's your problem now?

Basically, I'd do it the Dubai government way. As awful and inhumane as it may be, it's a choice between business and no-business. We don't have oil in Dubai, and we're depending on these businesses. Lax laws and minimum government interference in these businesses, as well as the tax-free facilities are what's keeping these businesses running here.

If these workers have problems with the law-wages, they shouldn't take their anger out on government property. Go bomb the headquarters of the companies that hired you and offered you these dream jobs.

The dirham is, unfortunately, pegged to the dollar. The appreciation of the rupee against the dollar is not really our problem.

I want to sympathise, and I want things to change for the better, but I don't accept the damaging of government properties because some Indian company refuses to increase the pay of its hired Indian workers. Why is there an Indian embassy/consulate if they're going to be so damn useless?

Arabesque · #7 (**permalink**) 10-31-2007, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GOTFIVEONIT

im not trying to bash dubai by posting this. obviously greedy companies use third world migrants as cheap labor. and the dubai govt in the past has done alot to enforce proper labor laws. the situation here is, that the protests turned violent, basically into a riot, and 4,000 migrant workers ended up in jail because of it. not because of the protests itself. the truth is dubai is the hong kong of the middle east. what the sultan there has done to improve the economy overnight is pretty daam amazing. today dubai's oil revenues only account for 10% of thier citie's income

I'm glad you see it this way. But we all know that the government can do more to protect the rights of these workers by at least enacting a minimum wage law. The government does not want to do it, because that way, businesses will run away. It's a hard choice for the government. They want to be able to offer a favourable environment for greedy businesses that want to make more money and pay less. It doesn't help that our minister of economy is proving useless.

Dude, they should have had two ministers of economy, since they've put a woman. Maybe we need two women instead of one. Like the two witnesses thing

I'm joking, I'm joking.

GOTFIVEONIT · #8 (**permalink**) 10-31-2007, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arabesque

What's your problem now?

Basically, I'd do it the Dubai government way. As awful and inhumane as it may be, it's a choice between business and no-business. We don't have oil in Dubai, and we're depending on these businesses. Lax laws and minimum government interference in these businesses, as well as the tax-free facilities are what's keeping these businesses running here.

If these workers have problems with the law-wages, they shouldn't take their anger out on government property. Go bomb the headquarters of the companies that hired you and offered you these dream jobs.

The dirham is, unfortunately, pegged to the dollar. The appreciation of the rupee against the dollar is not really our problem.

I want to sympathise, and I want things to change for the better, but I don't accept the damaging of government properties because some Indian company refuses to increase the pay of its hired Indian workers. Why is there an Indian embassy/consulate if they're going to be so damn useless?

those are very good points. the indian government is very useless in just about everything. and the rising appreciation fo the rupee does hurt foreign workers more, its now at what 39 Rupees to the dollar, just five years ago it was 50 rupees to the dollar. and the irony is that appreciation came to the outsourcing of jobs to india, which boosted india's economy. In fact i asked some of my cousins from india once, is it better now to just stay and work in india than work in the gulf? and they replied yes. I think the only jobs that people are going to the gulf for now a days are for manual labor jobs, which is where most of the problems arise from. They said you can probably earn the same amount back in India, that you would earn in the Gulf, so whats the use leaving then?

As for minimum wages, i wasnt aware that the gulf didnt have a minimum wage. But the same problem's occur here in the u.s. when politicians (usually democrats) talk about raising the minimum wage. They fear impacts on business and fear that it would lose business. They just raised the minimum in my home state of IL recently to $7.50 an hour, so far not many companies have fled the state or the Chicago land area. Probabl because of the infrastracture and manpower that is available here, that wouldnt find in more cheaper rural areas.

Deel · #9 (**permalink**) 10-31-2007, 06:15 PM

don't they get like $4 dollars a day?

sad

.

MossadConspiracy · #10 (**permalink**) 10-31-2007, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GOTFIVEONIT

everyone wants to come here. many think if they goto the gulf first, it would be a stepping stone toward 'amreeka'.

they should come to America first, but in most cases they probably cant. Anyway, hopefully they'll make it here eventually

GOTFIVEONIT · #11 (**permalink**) 10-31-2007, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MossadConspiracy

they should come to America first, but in most cases they probably cant. Anyway, hopefully they'll make it here eventually

why? there are plenty of jobs in india as it is. and they pay pretty decent too. they can live the same standard of living in india, that they would if they came here. in fact more people are buying cars now, which is why the gas price is so high, opec cant keep up with demand.

SaidAbdullahofDarfur · #12 (**permalink**) 10-31-2007, 11:33 PM

May the forces of Shaytans Capitalism be purged from Muslim lands.

Inshallah one day the workers will earn the means of production!

GOTFIVEONIT · #13 (**permalink**) 10-31-2007, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SaidAbdullahofDarfur

May the forces of Shaytans Capitalism be purged from Muslim lands.

Inshallah one day the workers will earn the means of production!

LOL omg.............

Variable · #14 (**permalink**) 11-01-2007, 12:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SaidAbdullahofDarfur

May the forces of Shaytans Capitalism be purged from Muslim lands.

Inshallah one day the workers will earn the means of production!

While Bush and team are playing up the threat of the 'Islamo-fascists", we see the real threat - the Islamo-communists - springing up right here in our midst!

MossadConspiracy · #15 (**permalink**) 11-01-2007, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GOTFIVEONIT

why? there are plenty of jobs in india as it is. and they pay pretty decent too. they can live the same standard of living in india, that they would if they came here. in fact more people are buying cars now, which is why the gas price is so high, opec cant keep up with demand.

They cant have the same standard of living in India as in other places otherwise they wouldnt be leaving India to go to unfamiliar foreign places to work, it would not make any sense

Also theres overwhelming proof that the standard of living in the United States or Emirates is much better than in India

ws