Stranded women say only option is to work as maids

Dubai: Employees of garment factories that have been shut down are being forced to work as part-time domestic helpers in the northern emirates to survive.

The factories are either forced to shut down as a result of them going bankrupt or because the owners decided that they do not want to do business.

Under these circumstances the garment factory workers, who are predominantly Sri Lankan, find themselves unemployed and stranded. Some of these employees stay back to battle it out in the courts for their dues while others opt to return home.

"I along with the rest of the co-workers have filed a case against our employer, who had absconded, with the Ministry of Labour. The company has to pay me five months' salary. I will not leave the country until I get my money," said Damayanti, a Sri Lankan garment factory worker who is currently serving as a part-time domestic help for half a dozen residents in Sharjah.

Damayanti used to earn Dh750 at the garment factory where she worked in Sharjah.

The majority of the garment factory workers are Sri Lankan women who are forced to leave their country as a result of poverty and are the main income earners for their family.

These women who now work as domestic help said that they do not have any other means to support their family back home.

"It is quite back-breaking to work for more than half a dozen homes every day without a break but it is the only way we can sustain ourselves. Many lives back home depend on us," said Pushpa, a former garment factory worker from Sharjah.

These women said that they do not have their passports and fear retribution under the law.

"We learnt that our employer had submitted our passports with the immigration authorities. We are hesitant to approach them," said Nalini who plans to go back to Sri Lanka next year.

"My husband and seven-year-old daughter are back home and they keep asking me to come back but how can I without collecting my dues," she added.

P.D. Fernando, the Sri Lankan consul general, said the consulate issues passports in less then half an hour provided they get an immigration clearance.

He said: "They will be issued free of cost. If they come across any delay in receiving their passports they should come straight to my office."

Deepa, also a garment factory worker, said: "I had no idea that we could get our passports."

She will approach the authorities next year when she plans to go back home.

"I am building a house there. Construction will get completed only next year."

There should be a system where people find out everything regarding the establishment before approving visas for saucy types of organizations.
Mustafiz
Dhaka,Bangladesh

In spite of so many efforts by various organisations, these incidents keep on happening on a regular basis. It?s a very tragic but sad situation. People come from poverty and get into these kind of situations and there are so many vultures taking advantage of this.
Mohamed
Sharjah,UAE