Indian expats protest: seek higher salaries

Dubai, Oct 29: Thousands of Indian expatriates took to the streets here demanding decent salaries despite the threat by authorities to dismiss and deport them.

In the second protest in only ten days, more and more workers, including Indian expatriates and other nationals of a prominent construction company, brought traffic to a standstill in Ghusais yesterday, saying the salary of less than 600 dirhams (Rs 6000) left them with nothing to send home, the Gulf Today reported.

Officials of another construction company said the workers involved in Saturday's violent protest in Jebel Ali industrial area will be deported with a life ban.

High cost of living, appreciating rupee and poor living conditions are driving expatriate workers to protests even at the cost of their jobs.

There are about 1.5 million Indians and a total of 3 million expatriates in the four million population of the UAE and a large number of them are blue collar workers from the Indian subcontinent.

UNI