“First, how much were the workers paid?” she asked.
This again? Zaid thought, as he gritted his teeth and pasted a smile on his face. Whatever warmth there might have been between them the night before, whatever he’d managed to hold onto after she’d bolted, vanished. Why couldn’t Rebecca ever simply let it rest?
“Now, as far as the details of worker compensation, hours, and benefits, all of that is handled by the national labor board. Their job is to ensure that companies hiring in any of the United Arab Emirates pay fair wages, provide acceptable benefits, and provide work hours in accordance with our labor laws. Alacabak might know a little more about the specific details of this particular project, but if you want concrete answers, you’ll have to go to the labor board.” He had prepared for these types of questions. He was not going to let her blindside him. Besides, he was rather proud of the labor laws.
“But aren’t those regulations in place only for registered Emirati citizens, leaving little to no protection for migrant workers?” she countered.
Why she had to make it her purpose to find flaws with everything in Sharjah, to constantly bring up the workers and poverty, he didn’t know, but he’d be damned if she got him to lose his cool. It was like she wanted some sort of vengeance against him personally, when it wasn’t his fault he hadn’t been there for her. For their son. She hadn’t even told him. If he hadn’t found that picture, maybe she never even would have.
“I believe that is true. There are very few protections for migrant workers. We’re trying to discourage the use of migrant workers, as we have plenty of able-bodied citizens here who can do this work. The labor board has restrictions on when migrant workers can be used and how many can be employed at a time,” Zaid explained.
“Yes, I know about the restrictions, but estimates show that as much as seventy percent of the workforce in Sharjah is made up of migrant workers, many of whom are undocumented, allowing employers to keep their reporting numbers low so that they remain within the legal limits. These workers are not guaranteed living wages, reasonable hours, or benefits by the labor board. Furthermore, there is no national minimum wage that would protect all workers. The labor board assigns or approves wages based on the job itself. That works out great for registered citizens, but again, those regulations don’t apply to migrant workers.”
Zaid stammered. “I don’t know about those estimates,” he said, looking at Alacabak. “We’ve been striving to enact better regulations for all of our workers. If that many people are falling through the cracks then it will be up to the royal family to investigate the situation.”
Some of the others began to fidget audibly and he watched Candace lean toward Rebecca to say something to her, but she held up her hand and Candace backed off. It looked as though she was just getting started.
“You know, Sheikh Zaid,” Rebecca said, “you keep giving us great promises in your answers, but I see now that you really have no idea what’s going on. I’m willing to bet that you didn’t know that thousands of mostly migrant workers live in squalid conditions right here in Sharjah. Because they are classified as migrant workers, they are beyond the reach of your labor board’s regulations. Dozens of these workers were deported for protesting their squalid conditions.”
As Rebecca talked, Zaid could hear the other members of the tour grumble louder as some began to talk amongst themselves. Looking around, he was surprised to see that two of them had pulled out their cell phones and were recording their interaction.
Alacabak stepped up to address her accusations. “Claims made on behalf of undocumented migrant workers are hard to prove precisely because they are undocumented,” he said. “UAE law provides for penalties against companies who use too many migrant workers. We take these claims very seriously, specifically because of the work each Emirate has done to ensure the safety and well-being of our workforce. I currently oversee investigations into migrant complaints here in Sharjah, and so far, my team of labor board investigators has only been able to prove a handful of claims. Those employers have faced hefty fines and increased scrutiny because of their labor violations.”
Zaid couldn’t believe what Rebecca had claimed. He felt comforted by Alacabak’s response, but he was still concerned over the numbers Rebecca had thrown out. He looked around the room, and it seemed that everyone else was glad to accept the advisor’s rebuttal and calmed down. After being called out in front of the group, Zaid didn’t feel much like taking them on a tour of the facilities.