Al Jazeera English - News - Foreign Labourers Arrested In Uae

UPDATED ON:
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 02, 2008
0:20 MECCA TIME, 21:20 GMT

NEWS MIDDLE EAST





Foreign labourers arrested in UAE

Rights groups say Gulf governments should do more to assist migrant labourers [GALLO/GETTY]

More than 600 construction workers have been detained by police in the Gulf emirate of Sharjah after staging protests reportedly over poor wages.

The labourers were arrested on Wednesday after demonstrating near a construction site on the al-Nahda main road and rejecting calls to disperse, police officials in Sharjah said.

Police said the workers blocked the road for three hours before anti-riot police were called in from other cities of the United Arab Emirates.

They also said the workers threw stones and building materials at the security forces.

Four policemen and three workers were hospitalised after suffering minor injuries.

Local media said the protesters included Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Afghan labourers employed by a building firm called Tiger Contracting.

While low wages was not confirmed as the sole reason for the protests, a labour ministry official said the company had increased monthly wages in February from $204 to $231.

Many construction workers in the Gulf region often complain of poor working and living conditions.

They have also been hit hard by the weakening of the US dollar - to which the majority of Gulf currencies are pegged - which in effect reduces the value of the money they send back to their home countries.

Source: Agencies

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