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Bahtatboy Jan 26th 2012 7:57 am

Unions / Workers Councils in UAE
 
Is their any legal prohibition on workers forming either a formal union or a more informal workers council in the UAE?

And in practice, is it done and if so how do employers try to limit the adverse impact on them?

Norm_uk Jan 26th 2012 9:15 am

Re: Unions / Workers Councils in UAE
 

Originally Posted by Bahtatboy (Post 9866151)
Is their any legal prohibition on workers forming either a formal union or a more informal workers council in the UAE?

And in practice, is it done and if so how do employers try to limit the adverse impact on them?

My understanding is it is illegal for workers to form any kind of union in the UAE.

N.

co durham boy Jan 26th 2012 9:53 am

Re: Unions / Workers Councils in UAE
 
It's also against the law to withdraw your labour

Millhouse Jan 26th 2012 10:08 am

Re: Unions / Workers Councils in UAE
 

Originally Posted by co durham boy (Post 9866289)
It's also against the law to withdraw your labour

Blimey, that makes it sound like we are paid slaves... oh, hang on...

Hello.Kitty Jan 26th 2012 10:08 am

Re: Unions / Workers Councils in UAE
 

Originally Posted by co durham boy (Post 9866289)
It's also against the law to withdraw your labour

or certainly it puts you in instant breach of contract to the employer, even if they, say, haven't paid you for months.

co durham boy Jan 26th 2012 10:36 am

Re: Unions / Workers Councils in UAE
 

Originally Posted by Millhouse (Post 9866309)
Blimey, that makes it sound like we are paid slaves... oh, hang on...

Just higher up the food chain...Or thicker the Daal in your Tiffin Box !

Meow Jan 26th 2012 11:47 am

Re: Unions / Workers Councils in UAE
 
There are various news stories from 2006 that say the construction workers in the UAE are to be allowed to form some sort of workers union, but I haven't seen anything subsequent. I wonder if that was one of those announcement that was then swept under the carpet?

auzdafluff Jan 27th 2012 5:05 am

Re: Unions / Workers Councils in UAE
 
I think the closest thing you could get to striking over here is work to rule. But even that is extremely risky, mainly because I reckon they'd manage to argue you were being maliciously compliant.

co durham boy Jan 27th 2012 10:52 am

Re: Unions / Workers Councils in UAE
 
Ive been involved with several major strikes in Dubai which resulted in Water cannon being used and finally deportation from the authorities.

This was major disruption on the construction of Dubai T3 and Jebel Ali Airport project involving over 10,000 men.

It was all over lowering the standard of rice used in the camps .

It totally got out of hand with mob mentality and destruction of company property and coupled with piss poor senior management and a police force that didn't know shit from custard just created a massive fu** up !

Lessons learned / Don't mess with a man's rice and don't mess with the water cannon !

Norm_uk Jan 28th 2012 6:28 am

Re: Unions / Workers Councils in UAE
 

Originally Posted by Millhouse (Post 9866309)
Blimey, that makes it sound like we are paid slaves... oh, hang on...

More like serfs or peasants....slaves by definition are not paid.

So that makes it ok...

N.

Bahtatboy Jan 29th 2012 9:27 am

Re: Unions / Workers Councils in UAE
 

Originally Posted by Millhouse (Post 9866309)
Blimey, that makes it sound like we are paid slaves... oh, hang on...

Purely by chance a well-respected local lawyer opened up a conversation with me the other day on UAE labour law: in his view its "one step up from slavery".

Anyway--anyone any experience of the less formal "workers council"? Topical just now where I'm sat.


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