By IANS
Dubai : Indian workers were not involved in the violent strike at a sewage and maintenance company in Sharjah Tuesday.
“Labour ministry officials informed us that Indians did not orchestrate the violence and that the workers involved were of other nationalities,” consul general for labour B.S. Mubarak at the Indian consulate told IANS here Wednesday.
Around 1,500 workers of the company at Al Sajaa in Sharjah near here went on the rampage in their labour accommodation area, demanding salary hikes.
The workers burnt office documents, broke glass facades of the first floor of the labour accommodation building, and burnt and damaged vehicles of the company.
Director General of Sharjah police Brig. Humaid Mohammed Al Hudaidi said the workers burnt down five cars, damaged 40 others and stoned 28 buses.
The situation was later brought under control by an anti-riot team.
According to Al Hudaidi, the workers had selected their representative a fortnight back to submit their salary hike demands to the labour office.
Labour officials discussed the demands with the officials of the company, which is based in another emirate close to Sharjah.
The company then set up a labour accommodation site at Al Sajaa district.
“Even before the workers received a reply, a group of workers incited them to go on rampage and burnt vehicles and properties of the company,” he said.
Mubarak said that, according to information received, the company had 2,400 workers on its rolls.
“Around 800 of them are Indians,” he said.