Dubai: The integration of a smart system in the inspections process at workers’ accommodations has helped bring down the number of violations of governmental guidelines by companies, an official said on Monday. According to statistics released by the Permanent Committee of Labour Affairs (PCLA), 1,096 workers’ accommodations were inspected in 2014, out of which 14 were found to be in violation of the rules.
In an effort to ensure that workers in Dubai are living in humane and sanitary conditions, the PCLA conducted 2,891 inspections in Bur Dubai and 2,646 in Deira. The inspections showed 14 buildings used as workers’ accommodations to be in unsatisfactory condition, 518 to be average, and 564 to have good living conditions.
“There are an estimated 569,128 unskilled labourers working in Dubai. We periodically investigate the 150,973 rooms they stay in to ensure they are living in proper conditions,” Major General Obaid Mohair Bin Surour, Deputy Director of the General Directorate for Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA-Dubai) and Chairman of PCLA, told Gulf News.
Bin Surour said the PCLA also tries to solve workers’ problems directly with visits to their workplaces and helps address workers’ grievances within the scope of the law.
“We have database for each company in Dubai, number of workers’ accommodation, and the areas and locations of those establishments.”
Bin Surour said that the PCLA’s Follow-up and Inspection on Workers’ Housing Section had begun using smart devices while inspecting workers’ accommodations, besides housing and labour facilities.
“In the four months [since] we started using the smart system, violations have significantly dropped,” he said. “This is due to the efficiency of the system. Investigation details are instantly sent to the head office of the committee. This includes pictures and videos. The smart system also gives investigators instant details about any given company and the number of labourers under their employment. We’ve found the efficacy of this system to be undeniable; companies are being more compliant with the rules.”
Bin Surour said the smart system eliminates a number of unnecessary steps in the investigation process.
“We conduct investigations on a weekly basis,” he said. “We want to guarantee a decent life for workers. Our investigation team looks out for a number of things — including the accumulation of workers in the rooms, ensuring there is a bed for each worker, shelves for clothing and others for shoes and also having water coolers and a doctor in the premises.”
Bin Surour said the team also keeps track of workers’ accommodations, kitchens and dining halls to ensure sanitary conditions. “It’s not just the employers that need to pay attention to the levels of hygiene, the workers must do their part as well,” he said.
“We mainly target construction workers and we are committed to improving the quality of life of those workers whose valuable contribution to nation-building is appreciated.”
