The Human Rights Watch released a statement from the artists saying they will refuse all cooperation with the project until the Guggenheim and Abu Dhabi authorities ensure that workers are reimbursed for any recruitment fees they paid and hires “a reputable independent monitor” that will make its findings about working conditions public as well .
The artists say “human rights violations are currently occurring on Saadiyat Island, the location of the new museum,” according to the New York-based group.
“UAE authorities responsible for developing the island have failed to tackle the root causes of abuse: unlawful recruiting fees, broken promises of wages, and a sponsorship system that gives employers virtually unlimited power over workers,” the artists said.
“These violations, which threaten to sully the Guggenheim’s reputation, present a serious, moral challenge to those who may be asked to work with the museum. No one should be asked to exhibit or perform in a building that has been constructed and maintained on the backs of exploited employees.” In a 2009 report, HRW documented a cycle of alleged abuse on Saadiyat Island that left migrant workers deeply indebted and unable to protect their rights or even leave their jobs. Each of the 94 workers interviewed for that report said he paid between $1,800 and $4,100 in recruitment fees prior to his employment, highlighting the nearly universal acceptance of this practice in the UAE.
“If the Guggenheim and TDIC fail to address the artists’ concerns, the museum may become better known for exhibiting labor violations than art,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.
A spokesman for the Guggenheim Foundation and the Tourism Development and Investment Company in Abu Dhabi could not be immediately reached for comment.
Labor abuses are commonplace in the United Arab Emirates, which has long depended on poorly paid South Asian migrant to build its skyscrapers, hotels and mega projects.
In January, HRW said that the situation for migrant workers in the UAE remained dire against the backdrop of a worsening economy. The group acknowledged that the government has announced “positive labor reforms” such as more oversight of recruiting agencies.
HRW maintained that construction companies across the Gulf federation exploited or abused migrant workers in numerous ways, citing unsafe working environment, movement restrictions and withholding workers’ travel documents among violations.
Concerns about labor conditions prompted New York University in February to announce that was requiring workers involved in building and operating its Middle East campus in Abu Dhabi to have safeguards in their contracts outlining how often they are paid and how many hours they can work in a week.
The provisions also require that employers cover or reimburse employees for any fees involved in the recruitment process and not take money out of workers’ pay; that workers are allowed to hold on to personal documents like passports; that overtime is voluntary and must be paid, and that workers are entitled to vacation and paid holidays.
The NYU campus is also being built on Saadiyat Island, which is located on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi and has been chosen to be the emirate’s prime tourist attraction. It will be also be home to a branch of the Louvre.
