Dubai labourers demand higher wages

(August 20, 2009) Hundreds of migrant workers in Dubai are demanding higher wages and overtime pay from their employer, the company which built the emirate's landmark sail-shaped Gulf shore hotel. Workers for the Al Habtoor Engineering Enterprises LLC are protesting on the streets, saying their pay isn't enough to survive on and support their families. Monday's rally is the first public display of labour discontent since Mideast's former boomtown was hit by the economic crisis last year. Rights groups have long criticized labour abuse in Dubai and the oil-rich Gulf. Dubai has depended on low-wage Asia migrants who have built its skyscrapers and artificial islands. Habtoor representatives were not immediately available for comment.