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I'm talking about the Indian/Pakistani/Bangledeshi workers on the construction sites. How much do they actually make a month?

This was inspired from the 'Real Dubai News' thread.

I heard from the "Coffee Boy" at my work (that is his title) that they get about 1000 a month. Is that right? Does anyone know the average salary?

i was under the impression that its between 1 -2500 a month.

i could be wrong.

The guys i am working with on a project are generally earning around 1000 a month maximum, for unskilled labour. The guys who have an education, and occupy better positions (like supervisors or safety officers), are earning more. A Safety Officer, for example, can earn around 8000 to 10000 per month. Also, for the labourers, out of the 1000, they have to pay around 150 for food in the "Camp", although accommodation is effectively "free". Yesterday, i saw a guy hiding around the corner, crushing hundreds of drinks cans to sell, that he had collected. He would get around 5 dhs for a kilo, and the large sack of them he had was going to get him 20dhs...which was almost a full day's pay for collecting some rubbish. It really is apalling how much they earn, but unfortunately, that is the market conditions out here.

yeah just around 1000-1500, in most cases they give them a place to stay too

I know a lot of guys who're not laborers but waiters, fastfood crews, and staffs from the hospitality business that earn only around 2K and not including accommodation. They're the ones very much affected by evictions from villas/flats that have a dozen or more people sharing a unit.
I wonder when the authorities will realize that a person employed in this condition simply cannot afford an entire flat (even a small studio-type one) all by himself?

I don't think a country can sustain its tourism business while ignoring the needs of those who run it. You may have built hotels on cheap labor but you can't run it without a receptionist, bellboy, cleaners, etc.. (unless the highly-paid manager can and is willing to do those jobs)

Unskilled laborers get 600/month plus food and accomodation and thats a standard rate all across the board

Even if they earn 1000 a month, some companies then charge them 250Dhs per month for their room and then another 200Dhs a month for laundry. They get a room, shared with 13 other guys and 1 communal toilet between 50.

They also have to send money back home.

Doesn't leave a lot.



Knight

Thanks for the answers people. It ain't much is it?

So the guilty feeling I get when I walk home past the guys building the sky-scraper next to my building is justified?

Captain Australia wrote:Thanks for the answers people. It ain't much is it?

So the guilty feeling I get when I walk home past the guys building the sky-scraper next to my building is justified?

If you feel guilty, fine. They maybe didn't have the benefit of your education system.



Knight

I am certain they didn't have the benefit of my education system, or the hundreds of other factors that helped me get where I am.

Captain Australia wrote:I am certain they didn't have the benefit of my education system, or the hundreds of other factors that helped me get where I am.

So on the way home.. drop a few hundred dhm and ask the gentleman did he drop it.. when he says no.. wink at him and insist he did. Sometimes you can feel your best when helping someone else out. The labourer is not out there begging.. but trying hard.

I actually did just that about a month ago. I had had a few (too many) drinks and was walking home in the marina past the zillions of building sites and I was feeling guilty so I emptied my wallet and dropped a roll of notes into the lap of a worker sitting by himself outside a building site. (note: I didn't throw notes at him, I basically pushed it into his hand and said this is yours then walked quickly off)

Probably gave him 700-800. Ha! He had a good month that month.

But that is obviously not a practical solution. People are proud and like you said no one wants to beg. I think I read a thread on here recently about volunteer/charity organisations in UAE. Much better approach.

Captain Australia wrote:I actually did just that about a month ago. I had had a few (too many) drinks and was walking home in the marina past the zillions of building sites and I was feeling guilty so I emptied my wallet and dropped a roll of notes into the lap of a worker sitting by himself outside a building site. (note: I didn't throw notes at him, I basically pushed it into his hand and said this is yours then walked quickly off)

Probably gave him 700-800. Ha! He had a good month that month.

But that is obviously not a practical solution. People are proud and like you said no one wants to beg. I think I read a thread on here recently about volunteer/charity organisations in UAE. Much better approach.

If the organization doesn't work out. I'll be the redhead, blue eyed worker sitting on the left of the corner with my hand open LOL

"Here is some cash to send back to your family in Bangladesh. Bless their red-haired, blue eyed souls"

[walks away... ... ... ]

"Wait a minute!?!"

ohhh please walk back by tomorrow.. I will have a bridge to sell you as well

Melanie wrote:ohhh please walk back by tomorrow.. I will have a bridge to sell you as well

Too late! I already sold Maktoum Bridge to a Yank!

Made him pay extra for the Salik though...



knight

SO thats where my husbands money went ? You shouldn't have offered him an escort each time he crossed over