Asian workers protest in Dubai

Published September 20, 2005

DUBAI, Sept 19: Hundreds of Asian workers building a luxury off-shore development in the Gulf emirate of Dubai demonstrated on Monday to protest their employer’s failure to pay them for several months.

The construction workers — mostly from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh — marched from the site of the project to the emirate’s main highway of Sheikh Zayed Road, where they rallied for two hours, causing huge traffic jams.

Police dispersed the protesters, who were then ferried by bus back to their living quarters.

Hundreds of thousands of Asians work on scores of mega projects across Dubai, often living in dire conditions and toiling long hours in temperatures as high as 50 degrees Celsius.

An official told AFP that the row was over the salaries of 2,000 workers, unpaid for four months.—AFP

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