A new mobile phone service for labourers was yesterday launched by a Government labour committee. Authorities say they will use the "alo" package, being launched in conjunction with du, the telecoms operator, in part to contact workers about issues such as changes in labour rules through text messages. Under the system, those eligible will not have to pay for a mobile number or be charged an annual fee for using it. Du normally charges Dh55 for a pay-as-you-go SIM card and Dh100 a year for the number.
Instead those who use the "alo" system will be charged a flat fee of Dh5 a month. They will also incur the usual pay-as-you-go charges. SIM cards will also come with a Dh10 credit to allow them to start using the service immediately. The Permanent Committee of Labour Affairs (PCLA) said the service would allow it to identify and reach thousands of workers. "Our main focus is to provide a service to this workforce and communicate with them," said Gen Mohammed al Marri, the committee chairman. "We hope to use these phones to send messages during festivals, alerting them about new rules and laws and informing them about events we organise."
The phone packages would be available at PCLA centres in Sonapur and Jebel Ali Industrial area from today. Describing the workers as "builders of Dubai's economic momentum", Osman Sultan, chief executive of du, said the company wanted to cater to the specific needs of the labour community, adding that handsets could also be subsidised. But some construction workers in Dubai said they were unsure if they would take up the new offer.
"Most of us already have phones and cards. This is probably useful for the new people who come in. However, we are very keen to know what the new labour rules are and would want to get this information," said one in the Sonapur area. "We never know or hear about any new labour rules and many of us get exploited by agents due to this." pmenon@thenational.ae
