Two detained after 100 workers protest in Dubai

Dubai Police officers speak with the protesting construction workers in Downtown Dubai.  

Dubai - Two workers have been detained and are being interrogated after Tuesday morning’s labour protest in Downtown Dubai.

On Tuesday morning, witnesses on social media reported that a large number of protesters gathered in Downtown Dubai, causing significant traffic delays.

A downtown resident, who did not want to be named, said that he “was stuck for 35 minutes trying to leave downtown” because traffic was diverted around the protest.

According to a police source, an estimated 100 protesters blocked an intersection near The Dubai Mall because they had not been paid in three months, with one worker claiming that their employers had reneged on promises to pay them the money they were entitled to.

Human rights officials from the Dubai Police arrived on the scene  soon to negotiate with the company and with the protesters, and managed to end the standoff in less than an hour, the Dubai Government tweeted on its official account.

“Today, through balanced and objective dialogue, we have managed to reach an understanding with the workers of a construction company, and we succeeded in convincing the them to halt their protest in less than an hour, and they dispersed, thereafter, peacefully,” the Dubai Police said in a separate tweet on its official account.

Head of the Dubai Police General Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina, said that a group of labourers gathered to complain about delayed payment of overtime wages. The Dubai Police intervened and managed to resolve the issue after workers were promised that their demands will be carefully considered, Al Mazeina added. 

He further affirmed that the UAE’s labour laws are clear and take care of workers’ rights, adding that the required procedures will be taken within the legal frameworks. 

Al Mazeina also explained that the Dubai Police presence at the scene was just a standard precautionary measure to maintain order and ensure optimal level of public safety, while the whole situation was settled in a very professional and civilized manner.

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