One maid for every child
Gulf News
It is not only Emirati families that employ domestics. Many middle and upper class ex pat families employ live-in domestics as well. Still, 5% is substantial in a country where less than 30% of the population are citizens and most of the 70% ex pats are low wage workers.
Five per cent of the population of the UAE are domestic workers, according to a new study by the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry.Besides housemaids other there are other categories of domestic workers such as chauffeurs.
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Abu Dhabi: Mohammad Al Saeedi has four housemaids, one for each of his children.
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Al Saeedi affirms the study's findings by saying, "I know countless families who have more maids than there are people in the house."
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26-year-old Mohammad Al Ganabi says this idea has to change. "It is actually not healthy to the structure of the family to have these many housemaids.
It is not only Emirati families that employ domestics. Many middle and upper class ex pat families employ live-in domestics as well. Still, 5% is substantial in a country where less than 30% of the population are citizens and most of the 70% ex pats are low wage workers.
Labels: labor market, maids, UAE society
posted by John B. Chilton at 11/12/2007 08:47:00 AM
3 Comments:
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I don't think there is anything wrong per se with having domestic help. Quantitiy is merely a technicality.
One just needs to know where to draw the line in order to maintain parental responsibilities, and obviously treat staff well.
So theoretical, so good.
Reference what Paul Krugman said below, we Westeners look at the issue of 'sweatshop' workers from the wrong perspective, and I’d add lowly paid maids or indebted labourers to that.
Whatever we might consider appalling work conditions may still be infintely preferable for those who do it to abject poverty, prostitution, life on the streets or in slums, and no regular income at all.
E.g., our maid built a house for her family and our old clothes kit out entire streets back in Colombo.
well, what can 1 expect?
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