Where to put the workers?
According to today's Pensinsula headline -- Housewives quiver as blue-collar workforce pitches tents in al Wakra -- local women are reporting they are unable to leave the house because there are poor people out there. Oh noes!
In all seriousness, the burgeoning migrant labor population is a big issue. Yesterday's Peninsula rather astonishingly reported that Qatar had 18% population growth in the first half of this year, which would represent an influx of nearly a quarter million workers in the course of six months. How do you accommodate a quarter million new people? Either you cram even more of them into already-crowded labor camps, or you expand worker accomodations into other areas, like the unlucky one in Al Wakra. Or both.
Then, of course, there's the question of what to do with your million-plus migrant laborers during their day off. It turns out that after you ban them from the normal gathering places, other, less reputable gathering places spring up.
Relatedly, CMU is holding a small conference on issues of migrant labor, so I'll be spending part of my week at that. On Tuesday, our undergraduate research project will be presenting some preliminary findings from our survey of low-paid laborers. Exciting times!
In all seriousness, the burgeoning migrant labor population is a big issue. Yesterday's Peninsula rather astonishingly reported that Qatar had 18% population growth in the first half of this year, which would represent an influx of nearly a quarter million workers in the course of six months. How do you accommodate a quarter million new people? Either you cram even more of them into already-crowded labor camps, or you expand worker accomodations into other areas, like the unlucky one in Al Wakra. Or both.
Then, of course, there's the question of what to do with your million-plus migrant laborers during their day off. It turns out that after you ban them from the normal gathering places, other, less reputable gathering places spring up.
Relatedly, CMU is holding a small conference on issues of migrant labor, so I'll be spending part of my week at that. On Tuesday, our undergraduate research project will be presenting some preliminary findings from our survey of low-paid laborers. Exciting times!