To someone who has knowledge about wages in Mindanao.

Question

How much are wages for peoples who work in construction business in MIndanao???

Answer 1

"Pretty much every single construction worker is in debt because of the recruitment process. We hold the UAE government and the governments of the source countries to account for that," Ghaemi said.

Low wages, poor conditions

Another point highlighted by the report was the low wages the workers receive. Kamali told IRIN that he earns 800 dirhams [$220] a month, slightly higher than the average construction worker wage of $175 per month – a stark contrast to the national average of $2,106 per month.

Kamali shares a room with six other men in a sprawling three-floor concrete complex, locally known as a 'labour camp', in the Al Quoz area of Dubai. Nearly 2,000 men from three different companies live there. They are segregated according to nationality to avoid disputes and fights breaking out.

Beyond toilets and showers, there are no facilities in the camp. Workers must find and pay for their own food.

"I spend 200 dirhams [$55] a month on food, which I buy from a local restaurant. I have credit with them which I pay at the end of every month. So far, I have been paid on time by my company, but I worry about how I will live if they withhold payment for any amount of time, as other companies in Dubai have frequently done," said Kamali.

He uses most of the rest of his salary to pay off his debt and support his family in Bangladesh.

Kamali added that he has no medical insurance but instead his company reimburses him for invoices he brings from a local clinic – as long as they are below $50. If he does not have the money to pay the clinic up front, he again borrows from friends and incurs more debt.

Analyst Dean did not think the burden on the likes of Kamali will be lightened overnight. Instead, for economic reasons, he said it will be a gradual process.

"I think the big issue that we have here is that a lot of the construction companies involved are very influential, from a financial perspective. Whether the contracting companies or the developers themselves, their business models are built on the supply of cheap labour," said Dean, adding that the price of steel, cement and even architects and consultants has risen considerably in the UAE.

"So these companies can't really afford to suddenly build great new worker accommodation. They can't afford to start paying them three times as much because they're already stretched with the price of raw materials going up.

"For that reason, I don't think we're going to see sweeping legislation and enforcement overnight. If that happened, you'd have a lot of developers and contractors going out of business. It would have to be gradually implemented, and then gradually people would have to redo their business models on inexpensive labour, but not cheap labour," he added.

Answer 2

although contractors are required to pay the minimum wage as required by law,  some pay way below that in order to survive.  the mandated minimum wage varies per region and according to categories set by the regional tripartite wage board.  engineers in our place can be had for 15,000.00 pesos per month.  ordinary laborers  at around 120 per day and skilled workers for 220 per day.