One of the labourers said that some of his colleagues broke the glasses of the canteen and smashed the canteen tables following the fight that ended with protesting from the camp to the road. When the protesters went out from the camp to the road, police and labour as well as company officials rushed to the scene to control the violent mob. According to workers, the fight was about the bad quality of the food served in plastic satchets.

“On Saturday night, some workers went to the canteen and they had an argument with the canteen supervisor about the food. The supervisor beat one of the workers,” claimed one of the workers adding, “The company deducts Dh150 from our salaries for food. The company deals with a canteen for food supply. The food is not good and unhygienic, being provided in a plastic sachets.”

Another worker claimed that the company failed to pay them appropriately for overtime for the last three months. “I used to get a salary of Dh1,200 to Dh1,300. But for the past three months, I am not getting even Dh1,000, although I am putting in the same hours. However, the company pays salaries without any delay,” he said. “The company’s management fulfilled their promises., as today we were offered better food,” said one of the workers yesterday, wishing that the management will solve all the problems.

Mohiddin Omar, the company’s Public Relations Officer denied the protest, saying it was just an argument between one of the workers and the canteen’s supervisor over the quantity of the food. The fight then aggravated and other labourers got involved. “This is all that happened.” He assured that the company provides food through a canteen. “The food’s quality is good and is provided in an appropriate way, and not in plastic sachets. The canteen provides food at the site and the camp. Today, we have visited the site and checked the way the food was provided. It was perfectly good.”