Better labourer accommodation in future

It's been announced that Dubai Municipality has issued new specifications for labour accommodation, a huge improvement on existing specifications.

Just pause to think about these workers, of which there are around half a million in the labour camps. Many of them are paid only between Dh500 and Dh1,000 a month. That's US$136 -US$272 a month.

Could you live on that?

They work twelve hour shifts in the heat and humidity, now thankfully getting a break in July & August between 12.30pm and 3pm.

Could you even contemplate that?

The current spec. for their accommodation space is 20 square feet per person. Measure it and see what that means - it's four feet x five feet.

Could you live in that space?

Worse, a Municipality official told Gulf News that "...some 90% of the existing camps are violating this rule as most of them are crowded."

For new accommodation being built in the emirate of Dubai the space required will be doubled to 40 square feet per person.

But there are other requirements that are just as important. Use of bunk beds will not be allowed. Temporary shelters, such as Portakabins, will not be allowed. There must be at least one bathroom for every eight labourers. A maximum of eight men can be housed in one room. Furniture should include a single bed and a clothes cabinet for each person.

In general, all accommodation must be air-conditioned, flooring must be easy to clean, there must be sufficient ventilation, light, insulation, drainage, water, power, fire safety measures must be in place and there are health and environment requirements.

Bathrooms and toilets are to have clothes hangers, exhaust fans, hot water, mirrors, cabinets, soap containers. Water tanks should have sun shades and there must be enough water coolers for the number of men in the camp.

You might think, as I do, that it's all just basic stuff. The minimum that you would expect people to be supplied with.

That hasn't been the case though. Many of these workers have much less than a fellow human being should be expected to accept.

There's a question over whether the new rules will apply to existing accommodation, but 'a senior official' said that although they were still reviewing it, the existing accommodation "will have to follow the new list of specifications..."

Isn't it a sad reflection on human behaviour that we need rules and laws before we do what's right.

All it really needs is for people to respect each other.

But far too many simply don't treat other people with respect. We see and hear about it all the time. Labourers being housed in appalling conditions, maids being abused, moronic driving endangering others, salaries not being paid, six-month bans being put on staff who resign.

Laws are needed, they are being introduced and we are getting huge improvements in Dubai.

How do we change attitudes though.