Give me your tired, your poor . . .

Dubai's amazing expansion, growth, and development is built upon the backs of a silent underclass of labor. The men and women who come here on Labor visas aren't even counted in the official population of the country - even though many of them have been here for years. There are over 1 million people in the UAE filling the labor force. They come from the undereducated poor classes of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Phillipines, and (recently) China. There is no minimum wage here, but the going rate for most of the labor force is about AED500/week (about US$130). These wages can sometimes be the equivalent of a year's wage in their home country. They are poor, speak no English (or Arabic for that matter), have no understanding or experiences of human rights, and leave their families for years at a time to send money home and provide a better life for those back home.

Laborers live in company provided housing. The labor camps look like huge campuses of apartment buildings that fill lots out on the edge of town. Usually, the water, toilets and living conditions in these housing are below standard. At Johnson Controls, we have tried very hard to find accommodation that has clean water and flushing toilets for our labor force in the factory. In order to find this type of accommodation, we have to pay twice the normal rent for the accommodation. Of course most companies couldn't care less and leave their laborers to use "honey pots" in the room and carry in water from outside. Most laborers will share 8-10 in a room (4 or 5 bunk beds).

Companies also provide transportation for the laborers to and from work each day. Mostly these are buses looking very much like a school bus or mini-bus. Up until recently, there was no regulation about the transportation and many laborers would be piled into the back of construction trucks and pick up trucks riding along the highway at 120 kph (about 70mph). A couple of years ago there was a horrendous accident with one of these trucks, killing many of the men. After that, companies were required to provide safer transportation. Seems like it takes the death of a few workers before the regulations will be changed to ensure safer conditions.

The typical work day for a construction laborer consists of a wake up and breakfast around 5am. By 6, the bus is loaded and on its way to the construction site. At around 7 or 7:30 the bus arrives at the work site and the men start their shift. There is a 1 hour break for lunch and they are usually done with their shift around 6pm. Then it's back on the bus for the 1 or 1 1/2 hour ride home. The work week is Saturday to Thursday. During July and August, employers are required to provide a 3-hour mid-day break. This was implemented after several workers' deaths from heat exhaustion and dehydration. In the summer, after my 5 minute walk from the car park to the building, I'm already heaving with sweat. I see these guys digging up concrete, wheeling barrows full of construction rubble, running jack hammers, pouring hot asphalt - and it's unimaginable that they will work in the sunshine all day, every day, week after week without collapsing in a heap.

Given the educational levels of these workers, it is extremely easy for them to be taken advantage of. Many employers will "hold" their passport - essentially meaning that they are slaves to the company. Many employers work them 7 days/week - even though Friday is a required day off. Many will "hold" their wages for them. It is very difficult for them to advocate for themselves. However, recently there were labor strikes at some sites. About 3,000 men were blockading one of the main highways, throwing rocks and stones, and setting fire to some equipment. It made headlines outside of the UAE (some of you sent me the news links). As a result, there have been some discussions about a minimum wage. But honestly, nothing is going to happen unless it becomes a trade issue for the UAE with other countries. The UAE is quick to respond to anything that threatens their ability to negotiate a Free Trade Agreement with the USA. This includes US pressure to improve working conditions and human rights conditions here.

Each morning, on my way to work, I will pass several of the labor buses full of the men heading off to construction sites. The men all sit quietly either staring blankly out the window or cradling their head for a last-minute grasp at sleep. They are off to start another long day helping to build the miracle of Dubai.