Labourers have appealed for additional drinking water units on construction sites, more shaded rest areas and an extension of the midday break hours during which outdoor work is not permitted.
As per UAE law, the midday break starts on Friday and will continue until September 15, during which time outdoor workers must be allowed to rest from 12.30pm until 3pm daily.
With temperatures already climbing to more than 45°C at the onset of summer, construction and cleaning labourers said a one or two-hour extension would make working conditions easier during the intense afternoon heat.
“Look at how we are drenched in sweat and this is in June. At 3 and 4 o’clock it is still like a frying pan outside. The heat goes into your head and turns your brain upside down. The supervisor does not talk to us properly and we argue because no one can think properly in that kind of heat,” said Ravi Baison, a welder at a construction site in Garhoud.
Many men called for tougher, frequent and unscheduled inspections while they work on building sites across the emirate operating forklifts to transport equipment, clean windows on platform lifts, work on concrete and mortar units to fix floors and weld large metal girders on columns.
The men were grateful for the three-month afternoon respite but said rigorous checks by government workers would ensure employers maintained sufficient water stations and rest areas that stayed cool through the summer where they could eat and nap.
“There is a shaded area but the fans don’t work and there are so many gaps in the metal roof that it is better to sit outside because you will boil indoors. There should be more water coolers at all floor levels because in the summer to walk three to four floors for water takes all the energy out of you,” said Sunder, a plumber on a site in Quasis.
It has been 14 years since the UAE government began the midday break scheme during which it is illegal for labourers to work in open spaces exposed to direct sunlight. Workers were initially given an afternoon break for two months and this was extended to three months in 2010.
Inspectors conduct random checks across the country to ensure that companies provide sunshades, water and first-aid on site.
Companies are fined Dh5,000 per worker if they breach the rules and labourers are found working outdoors during the mandatory break hours.
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Read more:
UAE labour ministry: Water and shade must be provided for outdoor workers
Outdoor workers call for crackdown on companies flouting midday break rules
Workers deserve a fair deal on the midday break
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Emergency jobs that are not included cover work related to traffic on public roads, gas pipelines, electricity, sewerage and water supply.
The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation also conducts awareness camps to inform workers about their rights and spread information about the midday break.
On a work site in Muhaisnah, a supervisor was quick to show that the construction company provided makeshift containers converted into rest areas with water coolers.
“We have first-aid ready in case a worker gets dehydrated and we regularly tell them to let us know if they feel tired or ill,” said Matoo Rajan, who handles more than 20 workers.
But workers said that rest areas must be maintained under low temperatures since the food they bring spoils quickly in the oppressive heat.
“We only have time the night before to cook rice or bread. But nothing lasts in this heat. If we have a proper rest area that stays cool we can leave our food in there and also eat indoors. Water is available but unless it is kept in a cool area, who will want to drink hot water?” said Majid Kazim, who has worked in the UAE for 20 years.
The men usually spread out newspaper sheets or cardboard cartons under a tree or take cover under a shaded spot outside the construction site zone.
“I have got accustomed to the heat but the newcomers find it difficult. Headaches are common during this time and they feel much more tired. I’m grateful for the work I have but cool areas would make our life in summer a little easier.”
Company%20Profile
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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Number of tracks: 11
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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