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‘You protested too much, go to jail’
WSN Network 

DUBAI: Forty-five Indian construction workers will spend six months in jail and will then be shunted back to India because they had protested too loudly for higher wages, a Dubai court has ruled. Last year, labourers closed down roads, assaulted police and overturned vehicles in one of several protests calling for better pay and living conditions. The court found them guilty of holding illegal gatherings, vandalism and violating public security. Labour unions are banned in Dubai, non-payment of wages is a regular problem and poor medical care is part of the national mindscape.

In March, the New York-based watchdog Human Rights Watch said a UAE draft labour law fell far short of international standards for the rights of workers.

The island claims to be a Gulf trade hub, builds world's tallest tower and man-made islands, but none of the Punjab politicians, including Captain Amarinder Singh and Akali Dal's new supreme and de facto ruler Sukhbir Singh Badal, often travelling to Dubai have talked of poor working conditions of Indian workers though they often hold NRI conclaves.

27 February 2008
 

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