At least you can express an opinion in places like here!
The problem is one that does not have a simple answer. The expolitation of expat workers is not just in the UAE, but all around the world. Where there is work and a booming economy, there will always be a need for a cheap and plentiful workforce. The Americans use the Mexicans, the Western Europeans use the Eastern Europeans and here they use everyone. Its not being done out of charity or a sense of fairness, its being done solely for the benefit of the nationals in every case.
So the Federal National workers get an 'up to 70%' pay rise? It will not affect the majority of expats here as they are either earning much less or much more than them already. What it will do is add to the ever increasing spiral of inflation. The locals push for ever higher rents in an attempt to 'milk the franchise' before the property bubble bursts, there are additional official charges and costs added to our expenses every day...and if you want to complain, then the answer is trite and always the same: If you don't like it, live somewhere else.
Has anyone ever thought to ask why many locals here are trying to return their UAE based investment so quickly? If any of them have investments outside the Gulf, then they need to cash flow to feed the payments as the currency exchange rates for the Dirham , due to the dollar pegging, are dreadful. The Dirham is virtually worthless outside the UAE now.
Its a big circle.
We all feed it in some way.
Knight