NEWS FROM THE U.A.E.
Excerpts from U.A.E. Dailies
Indian Girls under house arrest rescued by Embassy
Abu Dhabi - 30 Jan: A group of seven girls from Darjeeling, India, who were held under house arrest for protesting against non-payment of salaries and long working hours were rescued by the Indian Embassy and sent back home yesterday.
The girls, working as housekeepers for Top Catering for the last nine months, were kept under lock and key in a villa in Khalidiya and starved for four days from January 24 to 27. It was when their employer attempted to pack the girls off to India on Friday night without settling the pending dues, that the girls intimated the embassy, who intervened and extricated the victims. The girls, who had refused to board the flight, were later sheltered at the India Social and Culture Centre (ISC).
Speaking to this reporter from the ISC before leaving for the labour ministry yesterday, the girls alleged that the company subjected them to ill-treatment. “They treated us so badly by harassing us and using foul language, and we were made to work more than 15 to 18 hours a day. When we protested, they locked us in a room, without food and water,” the girls narrated their ordeal after the initial reluctance to entertain the Press. The youngest of the lot burst into tears and requested the embassy officials not to reveal her identity to the reporter.
The girls, who refused to have their pictures taken, noted that they were recruited to work as waitresses, but forced into housekeeping. “We all paid Rs90,000 to come here and we have not earned even half of it so far. But we will never even think of coming back,” the girls, all of whom claimed to be graduates, quipped. The embassy officials told ‘City Times’ that the girls had earlier sent a fax to the embassy, tipping them off their situation, and the labour welfare officials immediately got in touch with the management. “We also contacted the agent back in India, who promised to iron out the problems. But I got a call from the girls on Friday night, saying that they were being forcefully taken to the airport. I contacted the employer and insisted that the issue be resolved at the labour ministry,” said an official.
He added that the embassy had to literally fight it out to procure the pending wages and leaves salaries for all the seven. “We did our best to help those hapless girls, and are happy that they will at last go home tonight,” assured H. R. Singh, Labour Counsellor at the embassy, yesterday. According to him, all the seven girls received amounts varying from Dh1,000 to Dh1,200, their monthly salaries being Dh800.
Responding to a question on how the girls aged between 20 and 30 were brought to the UAE for employment, despite the recent government restrictions, Chandra Mohan Bhandari, Indian Ambassador to the UAE, remarked that he would investigate into the matter. He also cautioned the prospective employees to verify the credibility of their employers and job contracts before taking the ‘Gulf plunge’. “I also thank Mohamed Ali Kullum, Head of the Labour Disputes section who took a proactive stand on behalf of the victims,” the ambassador concluded. A Top Catering company official denied to comment on the issue when contacted by this reporter.
KHALEEJ TIMES
45 fishermen forced to sleep on beach after DM demolishes their abode
DUBAI — Jan 30: About 45 Indian fishermen, working for local employers, have been forced to sleep on the beach since yesterday, as the Dubai Municipality has demolished their accommodation in Al Jedaf.
According to the fishermen, the civic body had evicted them from their wooden house and demolished it.
"We do not have a place to sleep now. We have no option but to sleep on the beach. We do not know what we should do," said a worker, adding that they hoped their employers would find a way out for them.
"We are working for meagre salaries of Dh700 to Dh800 per month. Most of us have been here for 5 to 10 years. Now we are in trouble. We cannot survive here without any shelter," pointed out another worker.
Abdullah Dhai, who owns two fishing boats, said: "I do not know how to handle the situation. The only thing I can suggest to my workers is that they sleep inside the boat."
"I live with my family and therefore cannot accommodate them at home. To find another place for them to stay is also impossible due to the high rents which is unaffordable for most of us," Dhai pointed out.
He disclosed that the problem started when Dubai municipality gave a notice to the fishermen to vacate the place six months back. "But they did not give us any other alternative. They wanted to develop a new project in this area," he said. He claimed that the company, which undertook the new project, had offered them an alternative option, which has not yet been provided. "They promised to find a solution for the problem faced by the Indian employees. But they have not done anything so far. Instead, they came with bulldozers and demolished the wooden houses," he alleged.
He added, "We are registered and licensed by Dubai Municipality. If they do not want us to continue in this business, at least give us compensation for what we have spent on the boat and other equipment. We will close down the business," he said.
A source at Dubai Municipality's Buildings Department pointed out that the department follows a set procedure that gives occupants of buildings up for demolition enough time to make alternate arrangements.
"There are times when the department extends the notice period owing to some compelling reasons. People expect such extensions to demolition notice even when there are no valid reasons for postponing it," he said. He added that enough time was given to the occupants of the housing units in question, but the notice failed to elicit a positive response from them.
As in any case, the notice for eviction was given to the occupants over six months in advance; the source pointed out, and added that the civic body had also provided an alternate plot of land to assist the residents.
KHALEEJ TIMES
Cooler weather likely today in Dubai
DUBAI — Jan 30: The weather is expected to get cooler today with strong breeze and overcast conditions persisting throughout the day.
According to the weather office at the Dubai International Airport, there is also a chance of showers during the day, especially over the mountains in the east.
Moderate to strong Shamal winds of up to 23 knots are expected mid-morning, which may cause swells of up to six feet on shore. Off shore gusts of up to 27 knots are likely with swells of up to 10 feet. The Shamal will, however, weaken by tomorrow.
An adverse marine weather warning will likely be issued today owing to the rough seas.
The maximum temperature today is expected to be around 22 degrees Celsius, several degrees lower than yesterday, while the minimum is likely to dip to 12 degrees Celsius as compared to 17 degrees yesterday.
The cloudy conditions are likely to persist tomorrow and day after, while the weather is expected to be fine on Thursday. It was cloudy throughout the day yesterday, but no showers were reported in Dubai or the Northern Emirates.
KHALEEJ TIMES
Empost to deliver DM's documents
DUBAI — Jan 30:Customers no longer have to visit the Dubai Municipality for collecting documents of completed transactions as these would now be sent to them through speed post.
This follows the signing of a contract between the civic body and Empost to set up an Empost Centre in the municipality's main office yesterday. The move is aimed at easing procedures and enhancing services.
"The Empost Centre at the municipality will ensure that the documents of accomplished transactions will reach the customers directly and fast," said Khalid Ali bin Zayed, Director of the Department of Municipality Centres.
He said that all preparations for active co-ordination have been completed between the Department of Municipality Centres and Empost — the department of Emirates Post that offers the service of sending documents and transactions by speed post.
Bin Zayed said the agreement comes as part of the joint cooperation for boosting the performance of the employees, enhancing the work, exchanging expertise and utilising the prospects available with other establishments in order to benefit from them for developing the performance standards.
“Practically, we have started sending our completed transactions through Empost from May 17, 2005. These transactions include the transactions of qualification offices of consultants and contractors such as technical reports, test results of technical staff of companies, renewal of records of consultancy offices and contracting companies, modifications of the status of office, plan permits of the Executive Planning Section and Tawasol cards of PROs and representatives of establishments and companies that deal with the municipality,” he said.
He said that in the coming days the building plans returned to the consultancy offices will also be sent by Empost.
Since the start of the project in May last year, 2,759 documents of transactions have been sent to the customers through Empost. Of them, 2,213 were sent to the qualification offices of consultants and contractors, 216 were transactions of plan permits and 330 were Tawasol cards of PROs and representatives of establishments and companies that deal with the municipality.
''We will study the possibility of including the transactions of other organisational units in the municipality also in the project,'' said Bin Zayed.
The agreement was signed by Ibrahim Yaqoub, Director of Contracts and Purchasing Department in the municipality and Sultan Al Midfa, Director General of Empost.
"Currently we have strategic partnerships with several government departments such as the Naturalisation and Emigration, Ministry of Health, Lands Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. And in this context, this new agreement with Dubai Municipality is focusing attention on the efforts we are exerting to provide quality service adhering to the best accepted standards adopted by government departments in the UAE," said Al Midfa.
Under the agreement, Empost will accept all transactions of the municipality through the Empost representative available at the civic body's building from the beginning of the working hours of the municipality and during extended duty hours if the need arises. Empost will deliver the documents of transactions to the concerned addressees within 24 hours of receiving them. It will also hand over all transaction documents that were not received by the concerned parties back to the municipality within 48 hours with an explanation of the reasons for the non-receipt of the items.
KHALEEJ TIMES
Private sector staff cry foul over holiday ruling
Abu Dhabi: Jan 30: Private sector workers in the capital feel the recently announced decision to give them a day off on Thursday to mark the Islamic New Year is unfair.
A circular issued on Saturday by the ministry of Labour and Social Affairs stated that private sector workers would get a holiday on February 2, but it would remain on February 1 for public sector employees.
Sylvain Rolet, from France, said it was unfair to be given the holiday on a Thursday.
"We already have Thursdays off, it is useless to get it because it is already a vacation for most people working in the private sector," he said.
Mareejoesph Gittany, a lawyer from Australia, said she was upset the public sector would get Wednesday off while the private sector was being given Thursday.
Discriminatory
"It's discriminatory, we feel the private sector is not being appreciated for its work by being denied the right to a public holiday. There's no rational reason to distinguish between the sectors when it comes to public holidays."
Bashir Ebrahim, 31, a manager from India, said most private sector workers worked a half day on Thursday anyway.
"I already work on Thursday, we will only get half a day off. I think all holidays should be united between the public and private sector," he added.
Tamara Nasser, from Lebanon, disagreed. She said the holiday as it is will benefit both sectors.
"I believe almost all private companies work on Thursday, so if they got their vacation on Wednesday they would have to come and work the next day. The holiday as they issued it will be good for the public and private sector, they shouldn't change it."
Nader Yasin, a 27-year-old bank employee from Syria, said most private sector companies already took Thursdays off.
"It's meaningless to get a vacation that is already ours; we should be given Wednesday as a holiday like the public sector," he said.
Samah Fakhori, a shop supervisor from Lebanon, said there should be no discrimination between sectors.
"I don't see a reason why we shouldn't get Wednesday off, the public sector will have three days while we will have only two, it's not fair. I believe something should be done to unite both sectors' vacations, then everyone will be satisfied."
GULF NEWS
Passports of patients held over unpaid bills
Ras Al Khaimah: Jan 30: Failure to settle medical charges has prom-pted officials in Saqr Hospital to retain the passports of scores of patients, primarily new mothers, sources told Gulf News yesterday.
The hospital, which charges Dh2,500 for normal delivery and Dh4,500 for a Caesarean operation, along with Dh300 per night for a single room or Dh200 for a double room, has been forced to be strict on the issue, they said.
The sources added that the management has daily disputes with patients, and a police unit had earlier been assigned to the hospital specifically to take care of any untoward incident on this score.