The workers demonstrated in Sharjah’s Industrial Area No 10, completely blocking the road from the fourth roundabout on the way to Dubai, police said.
Negotiations went on for hours between the workers and top officials from the police, ministry of labour and the Chinese consulate.
The protest started early in the morning when the buses came to pick them up to take them to the work site.
Brigadier Ali Naser Al Fardan, Deputy Director of Sharjah Police, and Brigadier Humaid Al Hudaidi, Director of Criminal Investigation Department, and other top police officials tried to negotiate with the workers to find out the reason behind the protest.
Brig Al Fardan and Brig Al Hudaidi tried to convince the workers to go back to work.
Police said the employees working for Al Habtoor Engineering Contracting Company refused to go back to work.
Officials from the labour ministry and the Chinese consulate failed to reach an agreement with the workers.
The workers said they have paid the recruitment company in China a large amount of money and they want their money back.
According to Ahmad Al Shamsi from the Ministry of Labour and Ashraf Al Shirawi, head of public relations at Al Habtoor, the workers were recruited as per the labour law and the company ensures that they get food, transportation allowances and their salaries on time.
