STORM2K

Human rights
It is a common practice for employers in the UAE to retain employees' passports for the duration of the employment contract to prevent expatriate employees from changing jobs. This is an illegal practice, but it is almost never investigated, let alone punished by the government. Even though there are court rulings all the government departments are holding their employees' passports. On termination of an employment contract, most categories of expatriates are banned from obtaining a work permit in the country for six months and a no entry stamp will be stamped on their passports.

The United States Department of State has cited widespread instances of blue collar labor abuse in the general context of the United Arab Emirates [1].

The government has been criticized by human rights agencies such as Human Rights Watch for its inaction in addressing the discrimination against Asian workers in the emirates. Salary structures and treatment based on nationality, sex, age, and race rather than on qualification are common [2].

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The UAE's human rights record, particularly in relation to migrant workers, was widely criticized during the trials of Sarah Balabagan in 1995.

A website is campaigning to pressure the government of the UAE into signing up to International Labour Organization core conventions on freedom of association (see [2]). Strikes and unions are currently banned in the UAE and many laborers are virtual prisoners, having paid huge agents' fees in order to obtain jobs and visas.

Migrant workers

Migrant workers, sometimes unskilled or skilled, comprise a large portion of UAE's workforce. A 2003 Human Rights Watch report estimates up to 90 percent of the country's 1.7 million workers are migrants. These migrants, drawn to wages often more than they could make in their home countries, have helped UAE's endless construction projects proceed rapidly. However, unlike many other countries, these foreign workers (also known as expatriates) do not have a claim to UAE citizenship and thus cannot be naturalized. This is generally only possible through marriage to a UAE or GCC citizen. People from neighboring Arab countries or Iran who entered the country illegally during the 1950's and 60's, however, are full UAE citizens, due to the fact that poor border controls existed at that time.

Migrant workers in UAE face many challenges. As mentioned above, disparities in salaries and treatment occur for different races, with Arabs and Westerners getting better pay than their Asian or non-Arab counterparts. Even among Asians there are disparities. For example, a worker from South Asia, China or Philippines may receive lower pay and worse treatment than one from Japan or Singapore.

Stephanie wrote:I can't even imagine the Fordham Spire! Where is that going to be located?

Dubai has some of the most interesting buildings. That one is going to be nice.

I LOVE the Freedom Tower - classic and elegant.

fact789 wrote:i like all 3, i wish i could visit them.

Regit wrote:I can't help looking at the towers in NY and Chicago and thinking how easy it would be to fly a plane in to them.

HurricaneHunter914 wrote:I think Tiger meant that it is kinda unsafe these days to build the potentially Tallest Buildings in the world.

vbhoutex wrote:

Regit wrote:I can't help looking at the towers in NY and Chicago and thinking how easy it would be to fly a plane in to them.

How do you make a tower so it isn't easy to fly a plane into?

Regit wrote:I can't help looking at the towers in NY and Chicago and thinking how easy it would be to fly a plane in to them.

HurricaneHunter914 wrote:I got lucky, my family visited the WTC in July 2001. TWO months before the attack.