US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI2083

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ANOTHER STRIKE MEDIATED AND RESOLVED BY THE LABOUR MINISTRY

Identifier: 03ABUDHABI2083
Wikileaks: View 03ABUDHABI2083 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Abu Dhabi
Created: 2003-04-30 10:51:00
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Tags: ELAB PREL PHUM PGOV SOCI CVIS TC
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
null
Diana T Fritz  05/24/2007 04:24:05 PM  From  DB/Inbox:  Search Results

Cable 
Text:                                                                      
                                                                           
      
UNCLASSIFIED

SIPDIS
TELEGRAM                                           April 30, 2003


To:       No Action Addressee                                    

Action:   Unknown                                                

From:     AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI (ABU DHABI 2083 - ROUTINE)         

TAGS:     ELAB, PREL, PHUM, PGOV, SOCI, CVIS                     

Captions: None                                                   

Subject:  ANOTHER STRIKE MEDIATED AND RESOLVED BY THE LABOUR     
          MINISTRY                                               

Ref:      None                                                   
_________________________________________________________________
UNCLAS        ABU DHABI 02083

SIPDIS
CXABU:
    ACTION: ECON 
    INFO:   P/M AMB DCM POL 
Laser1:
    INFO:   FCS 

DISSEMINATION: ECON
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: CLEARANCE: NONE
DRAFTED: DRAFTED: GARANA
CLEARED: ECON: TEWILLIAMS

VZCZCADI061
RR RUEHC RUCPDOC RUEHZM RUEHTU
DE RUEHAD #2083 1201051
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 301051Z APR 03
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9703
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUEHZM/GCC COLLECTIVE
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 0506
UNCLAS ABU DHABI 002083 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/RA, DRL AND EB/CBA 
STATE PASS OPIC/OPIC INTERNATIONAL POLICY DEPARTMENT 
FOR VIRGINIA GREEN AND HARVEY HAMBURG 
AMEMBASSY TUNIS HOLD FOR FSI: OLIVER JOHN 
USDOC FOR 4530/ITA/MAC/ONE/DGUGLIELMI, 
4520/ITA/MAC/ONE/CLOUSTAUNAU, 
4500/ITA/MAC/DAS/WILLIAMSON, 
3131/CS/OIO/ANESA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB, PREL, PHUM, PGOV, SOCI, CVIS, TC 
SUBJECT:  ANOTHER STRIKE MEDIATED AND RESOLVED BY THE 
LABOUR MINISTRY 
 
REF: A) ABU DHABI 1204, B) ABU DHABI 1240, C) ABU 
 
DHABI 1935 
 
1. (U) The local press reported that three hundred 
expatriate workers at an Abu Dhabi-based construction 
company gathered at the Ministry of Labor and Social 
Affairs on April 28 to protest their employer's 
failure to pay salaries for more than three months. 
The Minister of Labor Matar Humaid Al-Tayer personally 
intervened asking the Workers Disputes Section to 
respond to the complaint. The employer was summoned to 
the Ministry and agreed to immediately pay one month's 
salary, promising to pay the rest of the wages in 
installments over a short period of time if the 
workers withdrew their complaint.  The workers "asked 
for time to think about it and reply to the ministry" 
and selected representatives to negotiate with the 
Ministry and the employer. 
 
2. (SBU) Comment: Work stoppages due to the failure of 
employers to pay wages continue to be mediated by the 
Ministry and receive significant press coverage. (See 
reftels A and B).  Though the law does not technically 
permit laborers to conduct work stoppages/strikes, 
Ministry officials tend to react sympathetically, 
particularly in cases of non-payment of wages, and 
urge employees to go to the Workers Dispute Section 
with their problems. While these informal mechanisms 
for dispute resolution function adequately, the 
government is also moving forward with legislation to 
formally recognize unions and clearly define their 
roles. (See reftel C). 
 
Wahba 

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