Companies operating in Dubai face tough penalties if they don't adhere to summertime midday break rules for labourers.
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00:00Taking some time out in the searing summer heat, the Dubai government has announced its
00:12midday break rule where all outdoor work in the emirate comes to a halt between half past
00:19midday and three in the afternoon.
00:21Starting from July 1st, companies who do not provide a shaded resting place during these
00:27hours could be fined up to 30,000 dirhams.
00:31It will of course come as a relief to those toiling away in intense heat over the summer
00:36months.
00:37But some workers say there is no adequate provision for them on site.
00:43Since our rooms are far away, we have to sleep outside in the heat.
00:47If they were closer, we could have gone there to take rest and come back to work.
00:50This poses a lot of problems for the workers because we have to sleep outside in the hot
00:55sun.
00:56The government has pledged to carry out stringent inspections at construction sites.
01:02They say over 600 companies were caught violating the rule last year.
01:08For the half a million Indian blue-collar workers in the UAE, safeguarding their health
01:13is a major concern.
01:15It is extremely important for workers to be permitted to take some rest and to stay in
01:20shade when temperatures reach its maximum.
01:24In fact, what we did last year from the consulate was to work in conjunction with the government
01:30to supplement the efforts of the government by launching a public awareness campaign to
01:36educate workers on what they should do and what they should not do in the height of summer.
01:41The midday break rule comes into effect every year from July to September.
01:47And as small construction continues through the summer months, companies who don't adhere
01:52to the law can expect to face hefty penalties.
01:56Sunita Menon, Gulf News.