[side-image image="https://cdn.thegazelle.org/gazelle/2015/04/LyleWhite_0.png" direction=left"]ABU DHABI (The Lyle White Report) — SKA Construction announced on Wednesday that 800 of its construction workers, most of whom were recruited from Bangladesh, will be promoted to internships for the following financial year. The UAE-based contractor said that the decision is mostly designed to help with workers’ professional development.

The workers, who were previously paid an average of 700 AED, or 190 USD, per month, will no longer be paid a wage after the promotion.

“It will look great on their CVs,” said SKA Construction spokesperson Bernard Smith. “Internships are unpaid, but they will provide the workers a real-life insight into the labor market, as well as endless networking opportunities.”

Smith said that management is excited about the human rights advances that this internship program will encourage. The firm, which has been criticized by human rights organizations for substandard wages and accommodation in the past, said that this move will solve their problems.

“We find substandard wages and poor living conditions absolutely unacceptable,” said Smith. “So we’re getting rid of wages and accommodation entirely.”

The interns will begin construction of a downtown skyscraper in early August, with a 12-hour workday.

Although the soon-to-be promoted workers were unavailable for comment, the internship program is already looking popular. Smith said that SKA Construction has even received applications from undergraduate university students.

“They don’t have any labor experience, but their cover letters were very passionate,” said Smith.