"A recent labor strike against Arabtec, the Dubai-based construction firm responsible for building the United Arab Emirates’s version of the Louvre, highlights the latent stirrings of unrest in the country, which could prove to be a stumbling block toward stability going forward.
Thousands of laborers refused to show up for work at construction sites owned by Arabtec last week, demanding back wages owed, improved working conditions and pay raises. The illegal, four-day strike (all labor strikes are against UAE law) was quickly quashed as 200 protestors were taken into custody and await deportation.
“The strike is a reflection of the desperation that workers feel, which is a result of a horrifically exploitative labor system,” said Nicholas McGeehan, Middle East consultant at Human Rights Watch. “Given that strikes are met with deportation orders, workers don’t take these actions lightly.”"
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