Gulf Labor visited worker accommodations on Saadiyat Island and construction sites for the Louvre Abu Dhabi and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. They observed the following: wages remain very low (around 1000-1200 AED/month); all workers interviewed had paid illegal recruitment fees; the complaint resolution system was not effective; and there were no worker representation groups. While facilities were generally adequate, more attention and resources should be devoted to direct benefits for employees, such as debt relief and higher pay, in line with the resources devoted to the projects' architectural plans. Gulf Labor recommends paying relocated workers a one-time relocation fee to cover recruitment debts as a way to address this historical problem.
Gulf Labor visited worker accommodations on Saadiyat Island and construction sites for the Louvre Abu Dhabi and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. They observed the following: wages remain very low (around 1000-1200 AED/month); all workers interviewed had paid illegal recruitment fees; the complaint resolution system was not effective; and there were no worker representation groups. While facilities were generally adequate, more attention and resources should be devoted to direct benefits for employees, such as debt relief and higher pay, in line with the resources devoted to the projects' architectural plans. Gulf Labor recommends paying relocated workers a one-time relocation fee to cover recruitment debts as a way to address this historical problem.
Gulf Labor visited worker accommodations on Saadiyat Island and construction sites for the Louvre Abu Dhabi and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. They observed the following: wages remain very low (around 1000-1200 AED/month); all workers interviewed had paid illegal recruitment fees; the complaint resolution system was not effective; and there were no worker representation groups. While facilities were generally adequate, more attention and resources should be devoted to direct benefits for employees, such as debt relief and higher pay, in line with the resources devoted to the projects' architectural plans. Gulf Labor recommends paying relocated workers a one-time relocation fee to cover recruitment debts as a way to address this historical problem.
Gulf Labor: Observations and Recommendations, March 2014
Gulf Labor's Observations and Recommendations after Visiting Saadiyat Island
and Related Sites (March 1!"1# "$1%& Members of Gulf Labor visited the worker accommodations on aadi!at "sland on March 1#, and the Louvre and the Gu$$enheim sites on March 20, 2014% &he followin$ document outlines this $rou'(s main observations, concerns and su$$estions% &hese are also based on: a) visits to related off*island sites in +bu ,habi, ,ubai and har-ah. b) interviews with workers both in the /+0 and in their home countries. c) discussions with informed local sources and. d) 'revious visits b! members of Gulf Labor% Our recommendations for &,"1 +bu ,habi and the Gu$$enheim 2oundation are made with the sincere intention of coo'eratin$ with these institutions, on their im'lementation% Gulf Labor was invited b! &,"1 3aadi!at "sland(s master 'lanner and develo'er, see tdic%ae) to visit the sites and accommodations on aadi!at "sland% 4e acknowled$e &,"15s willin$ness to en$a$e with Gulf Labor and the issues of workers5 welfare seriousl! and in an o'en wa!% Our discussions with &,"1 were held in the s'irit of honest, strai$htforward debate and e6chan$e of views% &he re'resentatives we met were &,"1(s 7ublic Relations staff% /nfortunatel!, we did not meet or interact with an!one at &,"1 whose 'rinci'al role was investi$atin$ and monitorin$ labor conditions, or 'romotin$ workers5 welfare% Our visits to the sites were accom'anied b! &,"1 re'resentatives, and, in the case of the aadi!at +ccommodation 8illa$e 3+8), b! em'lo!ees of 9rookfield Multi'le6 39M), a 'rivate com'an! in char$e of those facilities% 8isits to the +8 and construction sites lasted about four hours total, but were 'receded b! len$th! discussions held in the &,"1 office in +bu ,habi, which we feel were 'roductive in settin$ u' a framework for dialo$ue% &he visits were documented on 'hoto and video b! both Gulf Labor and &,"1% ubse:uentl!, we have mutuall! a$reed to 'ublish an! or all of this documentation, e6ce't where 3as re:uested b! &,"1 and members of Gulf Labor) it directl! identifies workers or re'resentatives% 2or ease of readin$, this document is divided into the followin$ sections: 1& Main observations "& Recommendations '& (etailed )indings *& +or,ers in the S*V -& Living conditions in the S*V .& +ages and .om/anies in the S*V (& Recruitment fees 0& Louvre and Guggenheim sites )& .oncerns beyond the S*V# including 123*( G& Overvie4 of cam/ conditions in the 3*0 1 Gulf Labor: Observations and Recommendations, March 2014 Main Observations5 + view of the aadi!at +ccomodation 8illa$e from the a''roach road% &he official name for the labor accommodation site 3+8) on aadi!at "sland is ;villa$e,< not the more commonl! used ;cam'%< 8illa$e life is often what is left behind in the $reat mi$rations for work all over the world, and this name seems to invoke a re*creation of communit!% +ctuall! $eneratin$ a sense of communit! and well*bein$ for thousands of mi$rant workers is a challen$in$ task, and an! effort to do so is u' a$ainst 'revailin$ conditions in the /+0% "n man! res'ects the +8 is similar to other labor cam's. it is tem'orar! housin$ tied to a construction 'ro-ect, hostin$ tem'orar! workers while the! are em'lo!ed on aadi!at "sland 'ro-ects, where onsite su'ervisors are still addressed as ;cam' bosses,< and where a broader national*level conte6t of indebted mi$rant labor remains in 'lace% &he road leadin$ to the +8 travels for a dust! two kilometers be!ond a check*'oint, be!ond which casual visitors or members of the 'ublic are not 'ermitted% &he aadi!at construction site itself acts as a $iant buffer between the +8 and 'ublic roads and services% &he thousands of workers in the +8 are thus isolated, and it was our im'ression that this inaccessibilit! contained and 'roduced other forms of seclusion that are 's!cholo$ical, economic, le$al, and $endered in nature% &he +8 is ==%==> male in its 'o'ulation% "t is desi$ned to last for 20*odd !ears, the build*out 'eriod for &,"15s aadi!at "sland 'ro-ects% "t is not, and will not be, inte$rated sociall! with the cit! or the even the island areas it serves% 2or these reasons, we do not believe that the +8 should be considered an ideal for workers housin$ in the re$ion, or elsewhere% ?evertheless, there are concrete benefits that the +8 offers to workers on aadi!at% +mon$ these are 'ro6imit! to worksites 3avoidin$ 1*@ hour commutes that are common elsewhere), and $enerall! modern and clean facilities conformin$ to minimum international standards% &here are &8 rooms, a 2 Gulf Labor: Observations and Recommendations, March 2014 well*manicured cricket 'itch, a $!mnasium, a librar!, 'ool tables, and other amenities rarel! seen in accommodation for mi$rant workers% Gulf Labor(s main concern is that such com'onents of 'ro$ress and comfort be directl! linked to workers5 welfare and well*bein$% Our visits allowed us a small window to evaluate some of these concerns, and to talk to some workers about them% Our conversations in the +8 were limited in time and sco'e, but we list below some of the chief concerns that emer$ed from them: +ages on Saadiyat Island remain very lo4% 4orkers we met, includin$ those contracted to the Louvre +bu ,habi, aadi!at 8illas, and other &,"1 'ro-ects, were earnin$ basic salaries in the ran$e of AB0 C =00 +0, a month 31## C 24B /, a month)% "n Mussafah, an area of +bu ,habi which hosts man! labor cam's, em'lo!ees who had worked on ?D/5s aadi!at cam'us cited fi$ures as low as B#2 +0, a month% 4ith overtime, this could add u' to between 1000 C 1200 +0, a month, for 10*12 hours of work, si6 da!s a week% Overall, wa$es inside the +8 were not better than those for com'arable em'lo!ment in construction elsewhere in the /+0% "t was also re'orted to us that a much 'ubliciEed 20> 'a! raise, announced b! the lar$e man'ower firm +rabtec after strikes b! its workers in Ma! 201@ 3includin$ man! in the +8 workin$ on the Louvre) has not materialiEed% Low 'a! was the sin$le lar$est com'laint we encountered in talkin$ to workers throu$hout our visits% *ll the t4enty or so 4or,ers 4e s/o,e to at the S*V had /aid recruitment fees% ?o one had !et been reimbursed these fees as re:uired b! &,"15s current 0m'lo!ment 7ractices 7olic! 3077)% +s a result, for e6am'le, a 9an$ladeshi worker who had been in the /+0 for three !ears, and had been workin$ on aadi!at for two of those !ears, had still not 'aid off his ori$inal debt% 4orkers in the +8 and on off*island sites described the avera$e time needed to 'a! off their recruitment debt as two !ears, which is also the term of the work visa% &his combination of hi$h initial debt and low wa$es, alon$ with de'endenc! on a s'onsor for renewin$ the two*!ear visa, $enerates intense 'ressure on workers, es'eciall! in the first few !ears after leavin$ their home countries% 6he com/laints redressal system at the S*V 4as not /erceived to be functioning very 4ell% 4orkers claimed that when the! call the hotline, there is no immediate feedback, and the! do not see res'onsive action takin$ 'lace swiftl!% 4ides'read 'roblems were re'orted with the :ualit! of the +8 food, and with sewa$e leakin$ from the u''er bathrooms onto those below% &he latter was :uite a serious matter, since a number of workers said the! were unable to take clean baths% 2acilities mana$ement said that the 'roblem of leaka$e was bein$ dealt with, but that similar 'roblems arose from time to time due to corrosion, s'ecificall! from the t!'e of construction of these tem'orar! buildin$s% &he food issue was somethin$ the! described as ;com'le6< and related to different tastes of the workers% 9oth &,"1 and 9M seemed sincere in tr!in$ to fi6 infrastructural 'roblems on the +8 site, but the com'laints 'rocess ma! need to be thou$ht of differentl!, be!ond merel! re'ortin$ to the facilities mana$ers% 6here are no organi7ed 4or,ers8 grou/s to s/ea, to# and any re/resentative system of 4or,ers coordination is not /ermitted% 4hile it seemed to us that efforts are bein$ made to address housin$ standards and $eneral well*bein$ in the +8, communication with the workers seemed to be :uite 'oor% "n the absence of an! formal worker re'resentatives or alternativel!, workers councils, it will remain difficult to evaluate 'roblems and to $au$e 'ro'erl! if em'lo!ee needs are bein$ fulfilled% On our visit to the Louvre site, an en$ineer described to us the 'ainstakin$ detail 3to the millimeter) involved in the e6ecution of the buildin$5s com'le6 structural 'lan, and assured us that lavish resources were allocated to meetin$ an! and all technical challen$es involved% imilarl!, considerable mone! and resources are s'ent on select features of the +8, for e6am'le on maintainin$ the cricket 'itch in a $reen and trimmed condition% "ndeed, com/anies housing their 4or,ers in the S*V /ay 6(I. on average more /er 4or,er# than that 4or,er is /aid in 4ages& 3 Gulf Labor: Observations and Recommendations, March 2014 Little fiscal or human attention seems to have been devoted to direct benefits to em/loyees, such as recruitment debt relief or raised com'ensation levels% 1ommittin$ resources to workers5 'riorities should be on a 'ar with realiEin$ the com'le6it! of the museums( architectural 'lans% Recommendations5 4hat follows below are recommendations that were discussed or 'ut forward b! us in our meetin$s with &,"1% Others have been considered and discussed amon$ ourselves since the visits% Gulf Labor is 'ro'osin$ to collaborate with all 'arties involved in findin$ solutions, and to contribute its own resources wherever 'ossible, to achieve 'ositive results% 1% "n order to deal with the recruitment debt issue as a historical and on$oin$ 'roblem, 4e /ro/ose that 4or,ers relocating to Saadiyat to build the Guggenheim should be /aid a one!time Relocation )ee% &his would cover workers who have been in the countr! for man! !ears, as well as those newl! incomin$% "t would be an u'front 'a!ment to com'ensate for the avera$e amount of recruitment fee, visa and fli$ht costs that are almost universall! known to have been 'aid b! workers, which as 'er our current information would be about 2000 /,% &his would hel' relieve workers of the immediate burden of debt, a condition 3sometimes described b! informed commentators as bonded labor) which under'ins their e6treme vulnerabilit!% 4orkers buildin$ the re$ion5s most lu6urious and lar$e*scale develo'ments should be able to offer their labor without this e6treme 'ressure of indebtedness% 2% 4e understand that the above recommendation is no 'anacea for the issue of recruitment fees in $eneral% &o ensure that such a move does not have a ne$ative effect on future recruitin$ or fees in home countries, we have three immediate su$$estions: +) .ontractors res/onding to the Guggenheim and other museum tenders should describe their recruiting /rocesses in detail 3as 'er their own 077)% Gu$$enheim contractors should set a 'recedent b! which information on the recruitment chain 3i%e% which recruiters the! are em'lo!in$ and which sub*contractors the recruiters are usin$) should be shared with recommended $rou's in home countries to ensure that recruitment abuse is minimiEed% 9) *n authoritative survey should be underta,en of the recruitment and relocation histories of all workers at +8 immediatel!, so that this 'rocess can be ma''ed and made $ras'able for the first time% &his would reveal 'atterns and concentrations of abuse, as well as throw u' o''ortunities for further miti$ations, not least to hel' us consolidate on the Relocation 2ee reimbursementF'a!ment recommendation above% &his research should be enhanced b! the inclusion of a main contractor on aadi!at, such as +rabtec, en$a$in$ in or enablin$ the same research% 1) "n common with other ma-or contractors in the /+0 3+l ?abooda and +&+ 0scon to name two) the 099 should include a re:uirement that main contractors establish their o4n recruitment agencies in the country of origin for their incomin$ workforce% &his is not a 'erfect solution but it does dramaticall! reduce the scale of 'otential e6'loitation and increase the trans'arenc! of the 'rocess% &aken to$ether, these are wa!s in which the transnational 'roblem of recruitment fees can be addressed 'ositivel!, in coo'eration with or$aniEations in home countries and international ones such as the "LO with a shared interest in 'reventin$ the abuse of workers% Gulf Labor has alread! been in touch with or$aniEations that are willin$ and able to undertake further studies for develo'in$ a''ro'riate a''roaches and remedies% + list of these $rou's and 4 Gulf Labor: Observations and Recommendations, March 2014 or$aniEations, in ?e'al, "ndia, 7akistan, 9an$ladesh and other relevant countries will be made available to &,"1 b! Ma! 1Bth% @% 6(I. should encourage the formation of 4or,ers councils 4ithin the S*V& 4orkers themselves are well e:ui''ed to assess their welfare needs and how the! mi$ht be best addressed% &hese councils, o'eratin$ without fear of recrimination, should be trusted to re'resent workers5 concerns and $rievances and to look out for their $eneral welfare% &he current $rievance redressal s!stem is too to'*down, and it does not a''ear to have $enerated much trust within the +8% 2urther, Gulf Labor would like to be in contact with a &,"1 official that is directl! res'onsible for workers welfare% "n our view, neither 9rookfield Multi'le6 nor &,"1(s 7ublic Relations team currentl! has this role% 4e have been informed that there are &,"1 em'lo!ees who are doin$ research on workers welfare and recruitment, and that studies have been conducted on how conditions can be im'roved% 4e would like to see these studies, and be in contact with the em'lo!ees who conduct them% 4% 9ased on what we found G that not all workers en$a$ed on &,"1 'ro-ects are even livin$ in the +8G 9rice4aterhouse .oo/ers (94.%# 6(I.8s commissioned com/liance monitor# should be encouraged to amend its auditing methodologies& "nterviews conducted onl! in the +8 and in contractors5 offices 3both heavil! surveilled locations) will not $arner the fullest or the most :ualitativel! useful information% ?or will this kind of data* $atherin$ ca'ture the testimon! of workers housed on off*island labor cam's% B% "n all our interviews, the to'most $rievance e6'ressed b! workers concerned their de'ressed wa$es% +ccordin$l!, 4e recommend that 6(I. establish a Saadiyat Island living 4age& + livin$ wa$e is distinct from the minimum wa$e, which in most locations, is estimated at the threshold of mere subsistence% Hundreds of munici'alities and other smaller institutions 3universities, air'orts) have ado'ted livin$ wa$es as the standard b! which em'lo!ees can maintain a safe, decent standard of livin$ within the cost horiEon of an! $iven communit!% +t this 'oint in time, the methods for calculatin$ livin$ wa$es are :uite mature, and have been develo'ed b! labor economists on a com'arative international framework% +mon$ other thin$s, a livin$ wa$e would $ive aadi!at workers a basic inde'endence and mobilit! over how and where the! choose to live in the /+0% A% +e encourage the /artici/ation of the International Labor Organi7ation (ILO%% 4e recommend that the Gu$$enheim 2oundation and &,"1 work with the /+0 Ministr! of Labor to invite the "LO in a multi*stakeholder 'rocess with the $oal of desi$nin$ and im'lementin$ these and other recommendations% ome of the structural challen$es facin$ the well*bein$ of mi$rant workers re:uire lon$*term, and nation*scale, solutions% &hese include the need for collective bar$ainin$ ri$hts, $uarantees of freedom of movement, and reforms of the s'onsorshi' relationshi'% imilarl!, the challen$e of inte$ratin$ worker housin$ into the social and 'h!sical fabric of host cities needs to be addressed seriousl!% ?onetheless, we believe that the 'ro'osals above can miti$ate some of the immediate 'roblems we encountered on and off aadi!at "sland, and the! are relativel! eas! to im'lement% &,"1 has a uni:ue o''ortunit! to set a model e6am'le for em'lo!ee relations in the re$ion% 9! followin$ such a 'ath now, we can envisa$e how, in the fullness of time, aadi!at "sland mi$ht be -ud$ed not -ust for the virtuosit! of its urban and buildin$ desi$ns but also for the humane conditions afforded its workforce% 5 Gulf Labor: Observations and Recommendations, March 2014 (etailed )indings '&* +or,ers in the S*V +ccordin$ to 9rookfield Multi'le6, there were, at the time of our visit about A000 workers livin$ in the +8, buildin$ the Louvre and other aadi!at 'ro-ects and infrastructure% +mon$ A000 men there were onl! 2 women, workin$ in services on site% &he ver! first $rou' of workers we s'oke to in the +8 was a $rou' watchin$ television in an otherwise mostl! em't! recreation facilit!% &hese men had been moved to the +8 from Mafra: the ni$ht before our visit, and had been told about the move at @ 'm on that da!% +fter a mostl! slee'less ni$ht settin$ u' in new rooms at the +8, these 12B workers had been taken in the mornin$ to their usual aadi!at 8illas worksite, and had been sent home earl! in the afternoon% &,"1 informed us that such movements were common at the +8 because different contractors brin$ in em'lo!ees for short*term work% However, in this case at least, a $rou' of over a hundred 'eo'le who were moved that da! a''ear to have been workin$ on a &,"1 'ro-ect 3&he aadi!at 8illas) while livin$ in +l Iaber com'an!(s accommodations in Mafra: 4orkers5 1it!, about B0 kilometers awa!% &his information was at odds with &,"15s steadfast claim that ever!one workin$ on &,"1 'ro-ects on aadi!at is housed in the +8% +t an off*island labor cam', we met three em'lo!ees of Robodh 1onstruction, a sub*contractor workin$ on the t% Re$is Hotel, the Louvre, and ?D/+,% &hese workers had s'ent @@ da!s, two months and si6 months in the +8 res'ectivel!% "n two of their cases, the! re'orted bein$ ;'romoted< out of the +8 b! bein$ made su'ervisors, without an increase in 'a!, so the! could be moved from the +8 into chea'er and more distant housin$% &he! were housed first in Mussafah 34B minutes awa!) and then +l +in 3more than two hours awa!) while still workin$ on aadi!at "sland% + vast ma-orit! of the workers we s'oke to in our brief visit to the +8 had been there for a few months, and not !ears% &hus it a''ears that the +8 is more a short*term venue for those who are workin$ on 'art of a 'ro-ect**on the Louvre(s foundations, for e6am'le**than lon$*term housin$ for a communit! of workers% "n some cases, as with +l Iaber and Robodh(s workers above, even this tem'orar! sta! in the +8 while workin$ on a &,"1 'ro-ect does not seem to be $uaranteed% +t the same time, the +8 o'erates at less than half its 20,000 ca'acit!% +ccordin$ to &,"1 there have never been more than 14,000 workers there at one time% &his is not because there are onl! that man! workers activel! en$a$ed on aadi!at% "t is because com'anies do not alwa!s heed &,"1(s re:uirement 3;obli$ed< is the term in the 077) to house their workers there% &hose com'anies not contracted b! &,"1 often 'refer not to 'a! to avoid the hi$her accommodations rates at +8, even thou$h the! are workin$ on aadi!at and are encoura$ed to use the facilit! for 'ro6imit! to the work sites% More details on the 'ossible reasons for this are in the wa$es section, below% '&- Living conditions in the S*V &he first im'ression on a''roachin$ the +8 b! road is of its isolation from the rest of the cit! and from 'ublic roads% &he +8 is 2 km inland from a check'oint that marks the ed$e of the construction site, renderin$ an! casualF unannounced a''roach im'ossible% +ccordin$ to &,"1 and 9M, there are hourl! buses that $o to and from the check*'oint, which is the onl! wa! for workers to travel to the main road and connect to the cit! bus services, outside of travelin$ to work% &here are two 'rinci'al kinds of accommodation in the +8% Laborers5 accommodation is A 'eo'le to a room, while foremen and su'ervisors are housed 2 to a room% &he A*'eo'le rooms can be 6 Gulf Labor: Observations and Recommendations, March 2014 com'ared favorabl! in siEe to rooms in other cam's we have seen% &here are three twin bunk beds and lockers, but no other furniture% &here is a 'rominent list of what is not allowed inside the room, includin$ eatin$, cookin$, washin$ and dr!in$, drinkin$ alcohol, and 'orno$ra'h!% + room we were shown in the +8 with A beds +ll meals in the +8 are 'rovided b! the central kitchen, as there is no cookin$ allowed elsewhere% &he kitchen, like the other central facilities such as the $!m, com'uter room, television rooms, etc% is well*e:ui''ed% However, durin$ our visit we heard man! com'laints from workers about food% "ndeed, in +8 this was the first thin$ man! workers wanted to talk about% &hese com'laints ran$ed from ob-ections to its taste to alle$ations that somethin$ in the food made workers drows!, as a result of which the! ate ver! little% &here was no wa! for Gulf Labor to verif! these claims or sam'le the food itself, but we brou$ht them to the notice of &,"1 and 9M officials% &he! noted that the food was sub-ect to a com'le6 ne$otiation at the +8, as would be e6'ected of different nationalities and varied cultural diets, but that the! are workin$ to im'rove the food :ualit! overall% +cross the +8, 7akistani and 9an$ladeshi workers were ;se$re$ated%< "n the wake of strikes b! +rabtec workers in Ma! 201@ 3the most 'rominent and well*re'orted amon$ the ;man!< strikes that &,"1 acknowled$es to have affected the facilit!) workers recounted that man! 9an$ladeshi men were sent home and re'laced b! 7akistani workers% +ccordin$ to them, this was amon$ the factors that resulted in clashes between the two national $rou's, which turned violent in +u$ust 201@% +fter these events, 7akistani and 9an$ladeshi workers were ke't se'arate, in a 'olic! that remains in 'lace in the +8 toda!% ,urin$ our visit, a $rou' of workers returned from the Louvre site to the +8% &he! had been workin$ from #am to A'm, with a one*hour lunch break% + standard work da! is 10 hours, includin$ 2 hours overtime% One da! a week is off, usuall! 2rida!% &hese workers and others we met 7 Gulf Labor: Observations and Recommendations, March 2014 in front of the buildin$s had s'ecific com'laints about leakin$ sewa$e water in several lower*level bathrooms% +ccordin$ to one worker, ;&he vast ma-orit! of us are Muslims% 9ecause of the sewa$e from above we cannot have a clean bath even before 'ra!ers%< 9M re'orted that some recurrin$ 'roblems were related to corrosion and construction flaws in these tem'orar! buildin$s, and that the! were currentl! fi6in$ the leaka$e 'roblems% '&. +ages and .om/anies in the S*V "n our interactions inside the +8, we recorded some of the base monthl! salaries as re'orted b! workers: 1ar'enter, workin$ on aadi!at 8illas: AB0 +0, 31## /,) Louvre worker: #B0 +0, 320B /,) Louvre infrastructure worker: J00 +0, 321J /,) &hree*!ear veteran of +8, worked on infrastructure 'ro-ects: JB0 +0, 32@1 /,) &,"1 did not allow us to distribute :uestionnaires to workers, and we do not have more detailed data on wa$es in the +8% 9ut such statements, combined with those from more detailed off*island interviews with men who had worked recentl! on ?D/ +bu ,habi, the t% Re$is hotel and the aadi!at 8illas 3the last two bein$ &,"1 'ro-ects), led us to conclude that base salaries are in a ran$e from BB0 +0, to about =00 +0, at the ma6imum, for $eneral buildin$ trades such as steelworker, mason, etc% 1ombined with overtime, which on aadi!at 'ro-ects is hi$hl! controlled and seems to be mandator! 3not voluntar!), the net salar! of the vast ma-orit! of workers is from 1100 *1200 +0, a month 3@00 C @20 /, a month)% alaries are 'aid electronicall!, and these da!s, $enerall! on time% Onl! after clearin$ their debts, and deductin$ 'ersonal costs such as 'hone and h!$iene costs, are workers able to send mone! back to their home countries% am'le remittances to 9an$ladesh were about 1B,000 &aka, or to 7akistan a similar amount in Ru'ees, which is less than /, 200% "n man! home countries, skilled construction workers could earn a similar amount, or better, while em'lo!ed in urban areas% 9ut obviousl! there are still man! who come to the /+0 for the sliver of advanta$e in savin$s which the! can eke out% ?ot havin$ man! e6'enses of their own, combined with the savin$s from livin$ in a cam' without famil!, becomes an additional advanta$e for some% Man! mi$rant workers are 'aid far less than the! were 'romised b! recruitment a$encies% ?otwithstandin$ conditions elsewhere, this does not :ualif! as a livin$ wa$e in +bu ,habi, the richest and most e6'ensive of the 0mirates, where 'er ca'ita G,7 of citiEens is estimated at more than /, 100,000 a !ear% +ccordin$ to an 077 com'liance officer we interviewed, com'anies housin$ their workers in the +8 have to 'a! &,"1 42 +0, 'er da! 'er ordinar! worker, and AA +0, 'er da! 'er foreman* level worker% &hese would be the res'ective tariffs for A*in*a*room or 2*in*a*room accommodations% "t is notable that this amount is more than the avera$e wa$es 'aid to a worker% &hus &,"1 is askin$ com'anies, such as +l Iaber, +l 2uttaim 1arrilion, +rabtec, and their man! smaller labor su''liers who are active on aadi!at "sland, to 'a! more for these facilities than the! 'a! the workers% Given the choice, contractors on non*&,"1 'ro-ects, notabl! ?D/+,, 'refer to house workers elsewhere, and these other cam's are located as far awa! as ,ubai and +l +in** a minimum 2*hour one*wa! commute% &his realit!, that the fla$shi' housin$ 'ro-ect at +8 is at best onl! half*full, needs serious thou$ht from &,"1 and the com'anies that are workin$ on aadi!at "sland% '&( Recruitment fees 0ver! worker we met in the +8 and at off*island sites had 'aid recruitment fees to come to the /+0% 9an$ladeshi workers on the ?D/+, sites re'orted 'a!in$ between 1 lakh 20 thousand, and 8 Gulf Labor: Observations and Recommendations, March 2014 @ lakhs in fees 31B4B /, to @JA4 /,)% "n the +8, a worker who had come from Ra-asthan in "ndia three months a$o, 'aid AB,000 "ndian ru'ees 310#J /,) to an a$ent, a'art from his visa and travel costs% 7akistani workers in Mussafah re'orted 'a!in$ between J0,000 and 200,000 each 3J20 /, to 20B0 /,)% &here is no difference between workers currentl! in the +8 and other workers outside, in terms of recruitment fees% + &,"1 official who did not wish to be named, observed: ;"f there is a worker who said the! have not 'aid a recruitment fee, " would not believe him%< i6 9an$ladeshi workers whom we met in the +8 while the! were 'la!in$ carrom all said that the! had taken loans with famil! land as collateral @*B !ears a$o in order to 'a! recruiters% One of them who had arrived in the /+0 three !ears a$o cate$oricall! said that he had not !et been able to 'a! his loan back !et and would lose his land% +ccordin$ to an off*island interview with two ?e'alese workers who had worked on ?D/+,, three or four out of 10 workers lose their land as the! are unable to 'a! the debt back in time% Recruitment debt is a 'ervasive and on$oin$ 'roblem that is reco$niEed b! all 'arties in this situation% Det it seems to be an inte$ral com'onent of the mi$rant worker s!stem% 4ho would work for such low wa$es for two !ears, unless to 'a! off a debt that had entra''ed the lands and livelihoods of their familiesK '&0 6he Louvre and Guggenheim sites On 20th March 2014, Gulf Labor members were taken to visit the Louvre construction site, and also the Gu$$enheim site% &he visit demonstrated the scale of the en$ineerin$ challen$es that &,"1 was encounterin$ while constructin$ these buildin$s% &his visit also showed us that, des'ite the Gu$$enheim 2oundation(s 'ersistent claim that ;the museum is not bein$ built at the moment,< a $ood deal of work has alread! $one into its foundation 'ilin$s and the massive surroundin$ infrastructure without which the buildin$ will not stand% &heir statements also belie the fact that as tenders for the Gu$$enheim +bu ,habi have been floated in October last !ear, workers are e6'ected to be hired b! the a''ointed contractors b! summer this !ear% &he conditions of work and housin$ on the museum sites are bein$ determined ri$ht now% 7ilin$s and earthwork at the Gu$$enheim site, 20th March 2014 9 Gulf Labor: Observations and Recommendations, March 2014 '&) Related sites and issues beyond the S*V# including 123*( Members of Gulf Labor also visited other work and housin$ sites around +bu ,habi, ,ubai and har-ah% 4e were able to record a number of interviews with workers% ome of these workers had been en$a$ed on &,"15s aadi!at 'ro-ects but had not alwa!s lived in the +8% 1learl!, &,"1 is not $ettin$ full! accurate information on where workers are bein$ housed% ince 7w1 3&,"15s com'liance monitor) onl! interviews workers in the +8 and at their em'lo!er5s aadi!at offices, its audits are not ca'turin$ the full sco'e of the workforce, or the 'otential 077 violations that occur in off*island sites%
"n this section we focus on ?D/+, workers, because man! of our off*island interviewees had been en$a$ed in buildin$ the universit!5s new aadi!at cam'us% ?D/+, is not a &,"1 'ro-ect, and so its workers are not re:uired to be housed in the +8% "ts tatement of Labor 8alues was established 'rior to &,"1(s 077, and in some res'ects, is stron$er% +ccordin$l!, there are $ood reasons to e6'ect that man! of the concerns we documented from these interviews of those who worked on the aadi!at cam'us could also a''l! to workers on the &,"1 'ro-ects% ?D/+, is bein$ delivered under the aus'ices of &amkeen, on behalf of +bu ,habi5s 06ecutive +ffairs +uthorit!% Mubadala, an investment vehicle of the $overnment, is the develo'er res'onsible for desi$n im'lementation and construction% Our understandin$ is that workers are all su''osed to be housed in O'eratives 8illa$es 1, 2 and 4 located on Das "sland or in the "1+, Residential 1it! located in Mussafah, +bu ,habi% However, we found workers housed in substandard facilities elsewhere, as have other inde'endent investi$ators from Human Ri$hts 4atch and the forei$n 'ress% "n contrast to the com'liance re'orts that 7w1 has delivered to &,"1, the re'orts of ?D/+,5s labor monitors, overseen b! Mott Mac,onald, have recorded ver! few violations of ?D/+,5s labor standards% +mon$ the conflicts of interest associated with Mott Mac,onald5s a''ointment as monitor, it is worth notin$ the L2# billion contract awarded to the firm b! the +bu ,habi 4ater and 0lectricit! +uthorit! to oversee the develo'ment of water and electricit! s!stems on aadi!at "sland% Mott Mac,onald mentions visits to the Das "sland and "1+, facilities in its re'orts, and we assume that the auditors have not ventured be!ond these cam's% "n the course of our s'ot visits to a cam' in +l MuoE in ,ubai and to the 9N Gulf cam' in Mussafah, we found and s'oke to workers who had been, or were still, en$a$ed on the ?D/+, 'ro-ect% "n the course of our interviews with these workers and with other local sources we recorded the followin$ violations of ?D/+,5s Labor tandards%
1) ?o worker was in 'ossession of his 'ass'ort% 2) ome workers did not have a written contract re$ardin$ hours and wa$es% @) Overtime 3amountin$ to 11* or 12*hour work da!s, and sometimes lon$er) was described as mandator!, not voluntar!% 4) ub*contractors 3such as Robodh and +l Re!ami) had failed to 'a! wa$es in a timel! fashion, and were in arrears b! several months% B) 0m'lo!ers had not 'aid recruitment fees% A) ome workers were housed in substandard cam's, and some had endured lon$ work commutes 3u' to three hours)% #) Man! of the em'lo!ees en$a$ed in work sto''a$es 3a four*hour strike b! +l Re!ami workers in Iune, and a lar$er two*da! strike in +u$ust b! 9N Gulf workers housed in Das "sland and Iebel +li) were terminated and de'orted without an! due 'rocess% &hese summar! actions a''ear to be in violation of ?D/+,5s tatement of Labor 8alues that ;no worker shall be sub-ect to harassment, intimidation or retaliation in their efforts to resolve work dis'utes%< 10 Gulf Labor: Observations and Recommendations, March 2014 J) 4hile food allowances had been sli$htl! increased in res'onse to the +u$ust strike, subcontractors5 additional 'romises of salar! increases had not been ke't% '&G Overvie4 of cam/ conditions in the 3*0 4e found a consistenc! in conditions across workers that we met. low*'a!, heav! recruitment fee debts, lon$ workin$ and commutin$ hours, abuses relatin$ to relocation and vacation costs includin$ air tickets which com'anies are su''osed to 'a! but workers do, lateness of 'a!, com'laints about costs and :ualit! of food when included in salariesF benefits, isolation and e6clusion from societ! and lack of access to 'ublic s'aces, difficulties in 'ursuin$ le$itimate $rievances 3includin$ len$th of 'rocess, re:uirement for 'h!sical 'resence and 'a!ment for translations into +rabic), and a culture of buck*'assin$ amon$st contractin$ em'lo!ers% uch conditions were encountered in all the labor cam's we visited in har-ah, ,ubai and +bu ,habi, hostin$ men from 7akistan, "ndia, ?e'al and 9an$ladesh who had either arrived in recent weeks or had been workin$ there for u' to ten or fifteen !ears% +l a-aa 3har-ah) was the most isolated industrial area and labor cam's district we visited% "t is surrounded b! an im'ressive, newl!*built infrastructure of roads and utilities for servin$ the nearb! air'ort and to connect to 2u-airah on the eastern coast, but otherwise has a derelict and abandoned feelin$, located as it is some thirt! kilometers from the cit!% &he doEens of cam's here border the desert and most interior roads are un'aved% ,es'ite the $eo$ra'hic isolation, men can socialiEe 'ublicl! in cafeterias and small sho's, can cook and sell food, and walk to 'ublic trans'ort in wa!s that are im'ossible in the hi$h*securit! containment of the +8% 7eo'le walk back to their cam's in +l a-aa on 2rida!, a holida! 11 Gulf Labor: Observations and Recommendations, March 2014 +l MuoE 3,ubai) and Mussafah 3+bu ,habi) are both lar$e industrial areas with labor cam's inters'ersin$ anon!mous industrial blocks% &here are su'ermarkets and cafeteriasFrestaurants nearb! where we were able to meet with workers% &he ed$es of lar$e arterial roads dividin$ the cam's a''eared to be the onl! 'ublic s'aces available for workers to con$re$ate 3other than mos:ues) and socialiEe. i%e% to be 'art of a societ! broader than their own cam'% ;4orkers 1it!< is the 'referred nomenclature in Mussafah, and these new urban*scale housin$ 'ro-ects are nevertheless far from and have ver! little to do with ;the cit!< of +bu ,habi% + 'anoramic view of "1+,, a new workers ;cit!< in Mussafah, +bu ,habi &hou$h we were not able to $ain access to the interiors of the accommodations at Mafra: 4orkers 1it! nos% 1 and 2 3+bu ,habi), we were able to take a $uided walk throu$h this ;cit!< itself, which is to sa! within its secured 'erimeters% "mmediatel! outside the $uarded $ates was a lar$e su'ermarket and $!m% "nside the cam' was a lar$e mos:ue, and more evidence of efforts to create a :uasi*urban feel: wide streets, dotted with occasional retail outlets, some s'aces for $atherin$s amidst the $ridded la!out with its 'avements and street li$htin$% 4hile the 'otential ca'acit! of Mafra: 4orkers 1it! and the +8 is, in both cases, more than 20,000 men, the former uses far less tem'orar! buildin$ materials and occu'ies a lar$er area on the $round% Iebel +li "ndustrial +rea 1 3,ubai) contains about fift! labor cam's of var!in$ siEes and an a$$re$ate 'o'ulation lar$er than the +8 or Mafra:% Here a$ain the cam's occu'! a section of Iebel +li5s industrial :uarters and are isolated from an! other urban connection% However, within the cam' area there are several su'ermarkets, mas-ids, and some cafesFrestaurants in addition to recreational s'ace outside the loosel! contained cam' areas, thou$h not much more% &hou$h it is a dust!, $rim! 'lace, its inhabitants are free to come and $o be!ond their immediate cam'*blocks and can be seen $atherin$ in $rou's or sittin$ alone at dusk throu$hout the cam's% Overall this felt like a more beni$n, sociable environment in s'ite of its ne$lected a''earance, and the freedom of movement was in contrast with the e6cessive focus on ;securit!< in some of the more heavil! fenced*in and remote locations, like the +8 or Iebel +li5s lar$er labor cam's% 7articularl! evident in such 'laces was the e6istence of street life and in the sociable ;owned< s'aces of cafes and restaurants as well as in the informal, or ;hidden,< corners of the smaller cam's% &he advanta$es of the latter must be wei$hed a$ainst the cleaner accommodation and $reen lawns at +8% 4e visited a newl!*built labor cam' in Iebel +li where a construction com'an! alon$ with some architects is makin$ attem'ts to im'rove conditions in its new workers housin$ buildin$. with lar$er rooms, hi$her ceilin$s, and natural as well as machine ventilation in rooms arran$ed around central ventilation shafts% &hese kinds of im'rovements need to be combined with the efforts to create ;'eo'le*friendl!< environments, allowin$ for more li$ht and air, and the 'reservation of informal social s'aces and access to the 'ublic realm% One wa! to work towards that $oal at aadi!at itself is to include, in the lon$ term, more 'ermanent schemes of workers housin$, not centraliEed but rather scattered throu$hout the 2# s:uare kilometer area% &his could be a brid$e towards a more health! and -ust societ! to come, in which construction and maintenance workers mi$ht live amon$st communities of more 'ermanent residents, either in state*'rovided social housin$ or in rented or other accommodation of their choosin$% 12 Gulf Labor: Observations and Recommendations, March 2014 + view of the com'ound in a cam' in Mussafah where ?D/+, workers live Overall, what is cruciall! necessar! to address is the removal from view and understandin$, of those men who are buildin$ the /+0, from its citiEenr! and its visitors% 1urrentl! se$re$ated in invisible and unacknowled$ed circumstances, workers are im'erce'tible to those 'o'ulations whose infrastructural needs the! are servin$% "f we withhold from su$$estin$ that 0mirati homes, tower blocks and museums should be built in the midst of workers5 cities 3althou$h that ma! be the one wa! to achieve a 'ro'erl! mi6ed, health! societ!), we must insist that mi$rant workers be reco$niEed as full 'artici'ants of the broader societ! the! live and work in% 13