DUBAI: Nepal's visiting Minister of Labour and Transport Mohammed Aftab Alam discussed the low wages being paid to Nepali workers in comparison to workers of other countries in the UAE.
Minister Alam held talks in Abu Dhabi with the UAE Minister for Labour, Saqr Gobash, and the Minister of Foreign Trade, Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi on a gamut of issues like wages, the image of Nepali expatriates and housemaids' jobs for Nepali women.
He said the Nepal government is making efforts to increase employment opportunities and improve working conditions for Nepalis in the UAE, including raising the minimum acceptable wage it set last year. "Nepali workers' wages are set at Dh600 ($163) by our government. However, we see that workers from other nations are taken at higher wages than Nepali workers," he said adding that he raised the issue in the discussion with the UAE ministers.
"We hope it is resolved soon," Alam said. "The government also plans to lift the ban on Nepali women working as housemaids in Gulf countries." He added that Nepali maids are still being hired illegally and that removing the ban could help regulate the process and even lead to the offenders being caught.
"We are considering lifting the ban on our citizens working as housemaids in Gulf countries as well as raising the minimum wage acceptable for those taking jobs in the UAE," he said adding that if the government opens the market, action can be taken against agents. "I will submit a detailed report about this to the government," he said.
Alam also promised action against recruitment agents who made false promises to construction workers. "Agents violating laws are an issue for the government and we are studying how to counter them. We intend to bring them under the laws of Nepal and strict legal action would be taken against these offenders," he said.
With high unemployment and a weak economy following years of civil strife, Nepal relies heavily on the millions of dollars remitted by non-resident Nepalis around the world. A large number of Nepalis in the UAE are employed as construction workers while some work as security guards or in the hospitality industry. Several others have businesses.
"Nepali workers are disciplined, good and hardworking, which is why their numbers in the UAE are increasing," he said adding that the government is setting up programmes to train workers so that they can get employment in skilled and semi-skilled jobs.
On his first visit to the Emirates, he also took part in the third Middle East Conference of the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA), held in Dubai over the weekend, which discussed issues facing the community in the region and around the world."
At present, Nepal faces the challenge of unemployment and the government is keen to improve the economy. We were assured all co-operation from the UAE government. We will now prepare a detailed study on which sectors the two nations could co-operate," he added.
Showing posts with label Dubai. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dubai. Show all posts
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
GLOBAL CRISIS-1: Out-of-work migrant workers apparent return spells doom
The global economic crisis heightens the potential for social unrest back at home when thousands of Nepali migrant workers suddenly out of work return home and demand government to take swift and decisive action.
"The flood of unemployed returning migrants could poses big challenges to social stability," said Ganesh Gurung, a social scientist, adding, "Nepal may have social unrest, only if 10 per cent of the total 2.5 million migrant workers return."
After work started drying up in Malaysia, Qatar and Dubai -- key destinations of Nepali migrant workers -- the government is also worried. It has asked its envoys to the affected countries to get first-hand information. However, they seem to sound more optimistic that the crisis may not impact Nepali workers, more than 80 per cent of whom are involved in the construction sector.
A six-year boom in Dubai that turned sand dunes into a glittering metropolis, creating the world's tallest building, its biggest shopping mall and, some say, a shrine to unbridled capitalism, is grinding to a halt forcing Nepali construction workers to return home.
However, Arjun Bahadur Thapa, Nepal's ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), cited the UAE government's stimulus package of over $40 billion -- that is not related to job creation -- and claimed that the construction sector was not panicking.
Still, the demand has been continuously dropping. In December 2008 the Nepali embassy in the UAE received a labour demand of 1,129 but in January the demand dropped to 813 proving Thapa wrong.
"In 2008, the demand for Nepali workers totalled 37,704 and in 2007 it was 35,131 -- including construction sector, security and others," Thapa said.
But Dubai, one of seven states that make up the UAE, is in crisis. The real estate bubble that propelled the frenetic expansion of Dubai on the back of borrowed cash and speculative investment has burst.
Half of all the UAE's construction projects, totalling $582 billion, have either been put on hold or cancelled, leaving a trail of half-built towers on the outskirts of the city stretching into the desert.
Among the casualties is the tower Donald Trump promised would be the ultimate in luxury, a $100 billion resort complex by the beach, and four huge theme parks and an artificial island developed by the state company Nakheel.
The banks have stopped lending and the stock market has plunged by 70 per cent. "Perhaps those who suffer most are construction workers from the South Asian subcontinent, who have carried out perilous work on building sites earning as little as £70 a month," according to a report.
Dubai, which has barely a trickle of oil in comparison, is projecting a 42 per cent increase in public spending on infrastructure projects, to compensate for vanishing private investment.
Low-paid Asian workers, including Nepalis who toil long days to build the skyscrapers of Dubai have become the latest victims of the global financial crisis as companies run short of business and money.
For many years, the Gulf emirate was a magnet for South Asian workers who fed the booming economy with cheap manpower -- from cleaners and gardeners to skilled and unskilled builders.
A report issued earlier this month showed that $582 billion worth of building projects in the UAE, of which Dubai is a part, had been put on hold due to the slowdown. That was 45 per cent of the total.
Six years of spectacular growth in the UAE construction sector, mainly in Dubai, absorbed hundreds of thousands of workers, mostly from South Asia. That had a knock-on effect, creating further opportunities for migrants. But the financial crisis, mainly in construction and related industries, is reversing that trend, forcing foreign workers to go home.
Even for labourers who were brought to the UAE on a work visa to satisfy the needs of the once-booming economy, many are receiving the pink slip. The companies told them not to come back until they called.
"The companies tell the workers that they do not have much work and that there is shortage of money," Thapa said adding that In the past, workers were not taking vacations, even after four years of continuous work as there was a huge work load till the immediate past.
"It appears some of the unpaid 'vacations' are simply a way of getting rid of people without having to pay them off," the Nepali envoy said adding but the embassy has suggested them to contact embassy, if any such proposal is received. Being market based economy the UAE government do not interfere in the private sector’s decisions making the Nepali migrant workers more vulnerable to be laid off.
Number game
KATHMANDU: There are 1,25,277 Nepalis in the UAE, according to the official data. Equal number of Nepalis are in the UAE unofficially. Till September 10, 2008, the UAE had over 1.5 million Indians, 0.3 million Philippines and 1,25,277 nepalis, informed Nepali ambassador to the UAE Arjun Bahadur Thapa. Majority of Nepalis are in construction sector and very few are in security, service sector (hotel) and some are drivers. The Nepalis in UAE send hone back a total of Rs 4.28 billion remittance in 2006 and in 2007 they sent Rs 4.49 billion.
From desert to builders' paradise
DUBAI: Dubai was turned from a desert backwater into one of the world's most awe-inspiring cities in less than 50 years. Its ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, is determined to make Dubai the global centre for finance, leisure and tourism. "In the race for excellence, there is no finish line," he said, and Dubai has grown exponentially into the desert, sky and sea. When its artificial Palm Islands -- Jumeriah, Jebel Ali and Deira -- are complete, they will have added 320 miles to Dubai's Persian Gulf coastline.
A tax haven, Dubai has encouraged foreigners to join the building frenzy -- the native Emirati make up less than 20 per cent of the population. The city hosts some of the planet's most spectacular buildings, as well the tallest -- the Burj Dubai -- which reached 818 metres in January. But it has also become known for its conspicuous consumption. It uses more water per capita than anywhere else -- a costly exercise when it comes from the sea. It boasts the 'seven star' hotel Burj Al Arab, the recently opened Dubai Mall, one of the world's largest, and, on the edge of the desert, a 22,500-sq-metre ski resort. -- The Guardian
"The flood of unemployed returning migrants could poses big challenges to social stability," said Ganesh Gurung, a social scientist, adding, "Nepal may have social unrest, only if 10 per cent of the total 2.5 million migrant workers return."
After work started drying up in Malaysia, Qatar and Dubai -- key destinations of Nepali migrant workers -- the government is also worried. It has asked its envoys to the affected countries to get first-hand information. However, they seem to sound more optimistic that the crisis may not impact Nepali workers, more than 80 per cent of whom are involved in the construction sector.
A six-year boom in Dubai that turned sand dunes into a glittering metropolis, creating the world's tallest building, its biggest shopping mall and, some say, a shrine to unbridled capitalism, is grinding to a halt forcing Nepali construction workers to return home.
However, Arjun Bahadur Thapa, Nepal's ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), cited the UAE government's stimulus package of over $40 billion -- that is not related to job creation -- and claimed that the construction sector was not panicking.
Still, the demand has been continuously dropping. In December 2008 the Nepali embassy in the UAE received a labour demand of 1,129 but in January the demand dropped to 813 proving Thapa wrong.
"In 2008, the demand for Nepali workers totalled 37,704 and in 2007 it was 35,131 -- including construction sector, security and others," Thapa said.
But Dubai, one of seven states that make up the UAE, is in crisis. The real estate bubble that propelled the frenetic expansion of Dubai on the back of borrowed cash and speculative investment has burst.
Half of all the UAE's construction projects, totalling $582 billion, have either been put on hold or cancelled, leaving a trail of half-built towers on the outskirts of the city stretching into the desert.
Among the casualties is the tower Donald Trump promised would be the ultimate in luxury, a $100 billion resort complex by the beach, and four huge theme parks and an artificial island developed by the state company Nakheel.
The banks have stopped lending and the stock market has plunged by 70 per cent. "Perhaps those who suffer most are construction workers from the South Asian subcontinent, who have carried out perilous work on building sites earning as little as £70 a month," according to a report.
Dubai, which has barely a trickle of oil in comparison, is projecting a 42 per cent increase in public spending on infrastructure projects, to compensate for vanishing private investment.
Low-paid Asian workers, including Nepalis who toil long days to build the skyscrapers of Dubai have become the latest victims of the global financial crisis as companies run short of business and money.
For many years, the Gulf emirate was a magnet for South Asian workers who fed the booming economy with cheap manpower -- from cleaners and gardeners to skilled and unskilled builders.
A report issued earlier this month showed that $582 billion worth of building projects in the UAE, of which Dubai is a part, had been put on hold due to the slowdown. That was 45 per cent of the total.
Six years of spectacular growth in the UAE construction sector, mainly in Dubai, absorbed hundreds of thousands of workers, mostly from South Asia. That had a knock-on effect, creating further opportunities for migrants. But the financial crisis, mainly in construction and related industries, is reversing that trend, forcing foreign workers to go home.
Even for labourers who were brought to the UAE on a work visa to satisfy the needs of the once-booming economy, many are receiving the pink slip. The companies told them not to come back until they called.
"The companies tell the workers that they do not have much work and that there is shortage of money," Thapa said adding that In the past, workers were not taking vacations, even after four years of continuous work as there was a huge work load till the immediate past.
"It appears some of the unpaid 'vacations' are simply a way of getting rid of people without having to pay them off," the Nepali envoy said adding but the embassy has suggested them to contact embassy, if any such proposal is received. Being market based economy the UAE government do not interfere in the private sector’s decisions making the Nepali migrant workers more vulnerable to be laid off.
Number game
KATHMANDU: There are 1,25,277 Nepalis in the UAE, according to the official data. Equal number of Nepalis are in the UAE unofficially. Till September 10, 2008, the UAE had over 1.5 million Indians, 0.3 million Philippines and 1,25,277 nepalis, informed Nepali ambassador to the UAE Arjun Bahadur Thapa. Majority of Nepalis are in construction sector and very few are in security, service sector (hotel) and some are drivers. The Nepalis in UAE send hone back a total of Rs 4.28 billion remittance in 2006 and in 2007 they sent Rs 4.49 billion.
From desert to builders' paradise
DUBAI: Dubai was turned from a desert backwater into one of the world's most awe-inspiring cities in less than 50 years. Its ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, is determined to make Dubai the global centre for finance, leisure and tourism. "In the race for excellence, there is no finish line," he said, and Dubai has grown exponentially into the desert, sky and sea. When its artificial Palm Islands -- Jumeriah, Jebel Ali and Deira -- are complete, they will have added 320 miles to Dubai's Persian Gulf coastline.
A tax haven, Dubai has encouraged foreigners to join the building frenzy -- the native Emirati make up less than 20 per cent of the population. The city hosts some of the planet's most spectacular buildings, as well the tallest -- the Burj Dubai -- which reached 818 metres in January. But it has also become known for its conspicuous consumption. It uses more water per capita than anywhere else -- a costly exercise when it comes from the sea. It boasts the 'seven star' hotel Burj Al Arab, the recently opened Dubai Mall, one of the world's largest, and, on the edge of the desert, a 22,500-sq-metre ski resort. -- The Guardian
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Direct NAC flight to Doha soon, Shanghai-Tokyo flight planned
The ailing national flag carrier -- Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) -- is planning to replace the present Shanghai-Osaka route with Shanghai-Tokyo route and start direct flights on Kathmand-Doha route.
NAC started flying to Doha via Dubai from January 1. While returning to Kathmandu, NAC flies directly from Doha. "NAC is planning direct flight on the Kathmandu-Doha route also in another three months," Sugat Ratna Kansakar, managing director of NAC, said after returing from the inaugural Kathmandu-Dubai-Doha flight.
Pradip Karki, deputy acting director at NAC, said that at present the Kathmandu-Dubai-Doha route has around 70 per cent of passengers travelling to Doha as it is a major destination of Nepali migrant workers. This extension in the international flight has facilitated Nepali workers traveling to Gulf countries.
"Nepalis in Doha were very happy that they can now take NAC flights," Kansakar added.
Karki said, "Only 30 per cent of NAC's passengers on Kathmandu-Dubai-Doha route travel to Dubai." According to him, the international flight extension to Doha was actually planned for September after flights to Shangai and Osaka were officially closed in October. "This is being preoned to utilise spare time," he said.
Kansakar said that the Ministry of Tourism -- at the NAC's request -- has requested Japan to permit NAC to fly on the Shangai -Tokyo route instead of Shanghai-Osaka route. He added that if things went as planned, NAC would start flying on the Shanghai-Tokyo route from October-November.
"In the long term, NAC is planning direct flights to Tokyo," the newly appointed MD said, adding, "However, Naruhito Airport is one of the busiest ones. If NAC gets a time slot, it'll fly directly to Tokyo.
"NAC is planning expansion but the global recession has hit air travel also. According to Karki, though worldwide tourism faced a three per cent fall in 2008 due to global recession, NAC was lucky enough to be unaffected till date.
According to NAC, there are three flights in a week on the Kathmandu-Dubai-Doha-Kathmandu route. On January 1, a total of 171 passengers went on the inaugural flight from Kathmandu, while the number of passenger coming back from from Doha was 168 on January 2.
Karki also said that the number of passengers traveling to Doha has increased in recent days. Till 15 days ago, the total number was around 40 to 50 per day but it has now increased to 80-90."If the Gulf countries start cutting labour force due to recession, the number of passengers might also decrease," Karki said adding that in that case, NAC would have to work out new strategies to cope up with the situation. He apprehended that as these are actually labour-based flights as there is a huge number of Nepalis working in the Gulf countries, the scenario might change after three-four months due to global recession and the number of passengers returning Nepal may increase.
NAC started flying to Doha via Dubai from January 1. While returning to Kathmandu, NAC flies directly from Doha. "NAC is planning direct flight on the Kathmandu-Doha route also in another three months," Sugat Ratna Kansakar, managing director of NAC, said after returing from the inaugural Kathmandu-Dubai-Doha flight.
Pradip Karki, deputy acting director at NAC, said that at present the Kathmandu-Dubai-Doha route has around 70 per cent of passengers travelling to Doha as it is a major destination of Nepali migrant workers. This extension in the international flight has facilitated Nepali workers traveling to Gulf countries.
"Nepalis in Doha were very happy that they can now take NAC flights," Kansakar added.
Karki said, "Only 30 per cent of NAC's passengers on Kathmandu-Dubai-Doha route travel to Dubai." According to him, the international flight extension to Doha was actually planned for September after flights to Shangai and Osaka were officially closed in October. "This is being preoned to utilise spare time," he said.
Kansakar said that the Ministry of Tourism -- at the NAC's request -- has requested Japan to permit NAC to fly on the Shangai -Tokyo route instead of Shanghai-Osaka route. He added that if things went as planned, NAC would start flying on the Shanghai-Tokyo route from October-November.
"In the long term, NAC is planning direct flights to Tokyo," the newly appointed MD said, adding, "However, Naruhito Airport is one of the busiest ones. If NAC gets a time slot, it'll fly directly to Tokyo.
"NAC is planning expansion but the global recession has hit air travel also. According to Karki, though worldwide tourism faced a three per cent fall in 2008 due to global recession, NAC was lucky enough to be unaffected till date.
According to NAC, there are three flights in a week on the Kathmandu-Dubai-Doha-Kathmandu route. On January 1, a total of 171 passengers went on the inaugural flight from Kathmandu, while the number of passenger coming back from from Doha was 168 on January 2.
Karki also said that the number of passengers traveling to Doha has increased in recent days. Till 15 days ago, the total number was around 40 to 50 per day but it has now increased to 80-90."If the Gulf countries start cutting labour force due to recession, the number of passengers might also decrease," Karki said adding that in that case, NAC would have to work out new strategies to cope up with the situation. He apprehended that as these are actually labour-based flights as there is a huge number of Nepalis working in the Gulf countries, the scenario might change after three-four months due to global recession and the number of passengers returning Nepal may increase.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
NAC forcing pilots to fly ‘unsafe’ plane?
The troubled national flag carrier, Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), has hit yet another snag. After a technical glitch on Saturday, it cancelled all its flights till Tuesday. The reason: Short-circuit due to water leakage in the cargo compartment.But the aircraft is scheduled to fly to Hong Kong tomorrow at 8.30 pm. However, captain SR Shrestha, who was to fly the Boeing 757 aircraft, Karnali, to Hong Kong on Saturday, claims that the aircraft is still technically unsafe to fly.
“The reason given is not satisfactory. All the wiring should be checked thoroughly,” he argues adding that it’s wise to inform the Boeing company, get clearance from it and be sure of the real reason. “The aircraft should be safe for us and for the passengers. Patch up work will not help,” he adds.
Captain RB Shrestha, operation director at the NAC, however, confirms that the aircraft will not fly until it’s safe. “We are conscious of safety as it’s the only asset we have,” he adds. Most of the pilots are against flying ‘the unsafe’ aircraft.
However, Gautam Das Shrestha, managing director of NAC, says NAC never compromises on safety. “The aircraft will fly only after a complete safety check,” he confirms adding that pilots would not be forced to fly an aircraft unless it’s properly fixed.
But the pilots do not buy that argument as they had faced such situation earlier and had flown under pressure. “Without proper rectification, we had to fly under pressure in May to Dubai, where the aircraft was grounded for five days,” captain YK Bhattarai of that flight remembers.
“We have only one aircraft in operation at the moment. We are faced with increased passenger pressure. So everybody is under pressure but the safety should not be compromised,” he adds.NAC has only two ageing Boeing 757 aircraft and one aircraft has gone for checks in Brunei currently.
“The aircraft is checked every year and the grounded aircraft was checked only eight or nine months ago. If there was problem it should have been fixed then,” captain Shrestha says.
NAC had bought Karnali on lease in 1987 and Gandaki in 1988.
“The reason given is not satisfactory. All the wiring should be checked thoroughly,” he argues adding that it’s wise to inform the Boeing company, get clearance from it and be sure of the real reason. “The aircraft should be safe for us and for the passengers. Patch up work will not help,” he adds.
Captain RB Shrestha, operation director at the NAC, however, confirms that the aircraft will not fly until it’s safe. “We are conscious of safety as it’s the only asset we have,” he adds. Most of the pilots are against flying ‘the unsafe’ aircraft.
However, Gautam Das Shrestha, managing director of NAC, says NAC never compromises on safety. “The aircraft will fly only after a complete safety check,” he confirms adding that pilots would not be forced to fly an aircraft unless it’s properly fixed.
But the pilots do not buy that argument as they had faced such situation earlier and had flown under pressure. “Without proper rectification, we had to fly under pressure in May to Dubai, where the aircraft was grounded for five days,” captain YK Bhattarai of that flight remembers.
“We have only one aircraft in operation at the moment. We are faced with increased passenger pressure. So everybody is under pressure but the safety should not be compromised,” he adds.NAC has only two ageing Boeing 757 aircraft and one aircraft has gone for checks in Brunei currently.
“The aircraft is checked every year and the grounded aircraft was checked only eight or nine months ago. If there was problem it should have been fixed then,” captain Shrestha says.
NAC had bought Karnali on lease in 1987 and Gandaki in 1988.
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