Beans and logs
It's all very well for Gulf News to run outraged little articles about evil sponsors withholding employee passports, but why doesn't Gulf News stop illegally retaining the passports of its own staff?
"Over the last year I must have asked him for my passport a hundred times. Now he is just refusing to answer my calls," he said.
Gulf News repeatedly tried to contact the sponsor but got no reply.
Come on Al Nisr Publishing - time to drop your hypocrisy and illegal behaviour. Give your staff their passports back. Stop treating them like modern day serfs.
"Over the last year I must have asked him for my passport a hundred times. Now he is just refusing to answer my calls," he said.
Gulf News repeatedly tried to contact the sponsor but got no reply.
Come on Al Nisr Publishing - time to drop your hypocrisy and illegal behaviour. Give your staff their passports back. Stop treating them like modern day serfs.
Labels: media
24 Comments:
The whole keeping the passport by the company is not that easy to resolve. Most firms in UAE/GCC are anal about retaining the passport. No amount of logical reasoning, and S#$%@ you A-holes gets through to them. even though the Ministry of Love-towards-workers asks them to solve issues amicably with the sponsor in clause (I) here
Solution, take your sponsors Name, Date of birth, passport number, and pic. submit it here and here
And hope that thse individuals travel to North America. Bet they will look good in Orange. Feel free to add links to EU law enforcment sites. I know its not solving the problem but it will be extremely satisfiying.
Conversly you can complain to the Ministry of Labour, good luck with that. After all the expatiates in UAE / GCC are temporary/disposable/expendable people. And have to leave as soon as they are done with you :S
As far i am aware it is illegal under UAE law for companies to retain your passport for any reason. All it would take is a couple of well placed phone calls to the right people and you can get your company into a world of trouble.
In case your employer is witholding your passport try this, it might work.
Hostage situations make good movies. too bad no one is ever there with a video camera... it would make such a pretty youtube video :/
Wow, I had no idea. Isn't Gulf News a pretty respectable news organisation? (PS: Thanks for joining Bloggers Against Torture).
Hahaha..Click310.
Someone just needs to tell Madman aka Mohammed Abdul Rahim Galadari now to watch his back, as he could be next.
Kretin Times rules the roost in such matters...GN still has a long way to go :)
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for that matter all the newspapers in Dubai do that .
from khaleej Times , Gulf news, Gulf Today. Emirates Today and Evening Post they all do it.
by the way click 310 err..... i think ur are on the wrong platform.
ummm...thx for letting us know about your sexual preferences click310...
There are many things that are illegal in the UAE but unfortunately there is no respect for the law because it is seldom enforced. Racially discriminating job ads are illegal but newspapers like Gulf News accept racist ads whilst the respective companies go unpunished. Each day idiotic drivers who endanger the lives of fellow motorists are left to their reckless ways (Despite the much publicised unmarked patrols) For laws to be effective they must be applied equally to all- irrespective of nationality, citizenship, class or status in society, Sadly the UAE is a hierarchical society and a long way off from maturing. The result in the meantime is a move towards vigilante style justice. We are already seeing this happening with hostage taking and motorists stopping offending drivers thereby taking the law into their own hands. Pretty soon a market for DIY wheel clamps will emerge for those selfish inconsiderate parkers who believe they are above the law.
Dubai Entrepreneur,
The fact is that many employers will find justifications not just for keeping passports, but also for not paying salaries on time or not providing proper accomodation to their workers.
Just like "you understand" why employers keep passports, similarly, other employers "understand" why salaries should not be paid on time.
MM
No company has the right to hold passports - these are personal documents. If employees are treated fairly, paid a decent wage on time they would have no need to "abscond". It is only because many employers here seem to think they can treat people, at best like children, at worst like slaves, that employees have no choice but to "abscond". Until the Ministry follows a proper Employment Tribunal practice which is fair to all despite nationality this subject will not go away.
As a Brit, I needed to get a visa to visit Pakistan, but since GN were keeping my passport in their safe custody until they physically witnessed me checking in at the airport, I wasn't allowed to take my passport to the consulate to get the bloody stamp.
You should have contacted the British embassy and said that your employer is holding your passport - property of the Crown - against your will, and you intend to report it stolen if it is not returned to you. You'd in all likelihood have got it back in no time.
I believe every passports front page of every country clearly states that it should not be handed over to companies or establishments of the holders visiting/residing country.
I think once the system is in place whereby people who commit a crime or has to pay dues to the company trying to flee to another country, they can be blocked in the airport and action taken.
Emirates Today dont hold staff passports.
It's bloody pathetic and insulting for GN to use such a practice. From what I hear Khaleej Times also does it. Let's out all these shyster publishers who do this...I have never heard of such rubbish!
Hilarious.
So they publish an article that clearly states at the bottom that passorts cannot legally be held by companies but then take those of their own employees.
Simple answer, refuse to hand them over. Admittedly this may be harder for some nationalities etc. but it should be a no-brainer if you have a British passport.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
dxByeH - I have removed your comment here because you posted the exact same comment on this entry three minutes earlier. That means it's either an error, or you're trolling.
I am very happy for people to post critcism, as you should be aware I abhor censorship. That's why I've left your original, highly critical comment in the link above.
But repeatedly posting the same comment is abusive, so if you did do this intentionally, please don't do it again. Find something else to say and I will happily leave it up.
There are so many Julius Caesars in the UAE that they have to wash their hands and play innocent. Not only Julius Caesars I think, there are also Pontius Pilates like Emirates Advocates & Legal Consultants. Claims to be law firm specializing in Labour cases but actually violates Labour provisions among its employees. Not only that, they are retaining their employees passports under the pain of non-release of salaries. And who is keeping the passports? Oh, the you can find it in the trunk of the PRO's car who claims that he is the General Manager of one of the Employer's companies. That is the scenario if you work for Emirates Advocates. AM sure you will not last for a year. And if you do, they will screw you up to the point that you will be forced to bargain by surrendering all your gratuities in exchange of your precious passport.
I worked at gulf news... its a bloody joke company... Anyway they did report me as an absconder but I still managed to leave the country.. fly back.. and get another job.
I work for a company who's owner is UAE's ambassador to the UK. They retain passports. It is not democratic and I feel imprisoned. I work in interior design..and it such practice blocks creativity. I am trying to understand the empoyer's risk reasoning - but it still seems to disrespect basic rights.
G day to you all...I've read your posts but in my opinion you posted mostly situations ,but not solutions.
What would be the solution in case your employer who's retaining your passport and not paying you the salary?
Let's now see if this forum is useful ..or not;)
I had to leave my job. I had a resident visa & it was cancelled at the airport when I left. I read above in a response... that the company will be liable as its the companies job to get details from the bank I borrowed from to get final settlement before allowing me to leave Dubai. I have debt in Dubai but I was made redundant. I had to leave my debt unsettled. Will my company pay it back. I managed to leave the country no problem. I hear different rumours all the time. Some people say the company is liable & others say I will not be able to re-enter Dubai. does anyone have any answers? Also How would I know if I will have a problem re-entering?
Where is madman Mohammed Galadari? Hiding behind an indian bollywood extra, I am told. He should be castrated the way he treated his employees - called them his slaves since he was paying their salaries.
If his secretary did not answer his call in 2 rings, her salary was cut for that reason. Shame on you, Mohammed.. you spoilt the name of your illustrious and noble father and mother.
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