Protecting people
This is great. It helps the people who earn less and do a lot of work (‘UAE clarifies housemaid contract rules with embassies,’ Gulf News, June 25). Protecting your people helps your economy, too, and these people work better knowing they are equally looked after by the employer and embassy.
From Ms Cecilia Zapata
Dubai
Needed for all maids
I would like to know if there will be change in policy for hiring of all maids. Currently hiring a maid has a lot of documentation involved and we have to pay a security deposit of Dh9200 to the Indian Consulate. This deposit does not provide much professional security between the employer and the maid. As a sponsor, there is a chance to lose out on a large sum of money and a lot of time that goes into completing all the formalities.
I hope the UAE authorities will look into this matter. But yes, it does make more sense to just have one contract between the maid and employer signed under the UAE Ministry.
From Mr Ash Rafei
Dubai
A good move
When people start finding it difficult to hire household maids, they will realise how important these maids are in their daily life. They will learn how to respect the rights of maids. This was a good move by the Philippines embassy.
From Ms Maya Martinez
UAE
Treated better here
It was a good move for the UAE to unify contracts to reduce unskilled workers and attract more skilled workers. It’s a blessing for many workers to get a job in the UAE. I think it is because their own country isn’t treating them well and that’s why they leave.
From Ms Nora Al Suwaidi
UAE
Facebook comment
Don’t blame everybody
We cannot look at the mass grave as the fault of all Sri Lankans; it will not resolve the current issue (‘Sri Lanka to dig up ‘Muslim mass grave’ site,’ Gulf News, June 25). I am sure not all Sri Lankan people are to blame, it is like branding all in one colour and that is completely wrong. I am sure most Sri Lankans opposed this act of crime when it occurred and we must advance religious tolerance to win the hearts of all Sri Lankans.
From Mr Ameenul Eslam
London, UK
Need bank restrictions
A friend of mine is in this kind of problem (‘‘Blank cheques can land you in jail’: Dubai Police,’ Gulf News, June 25). In good faith, she issued a blank cheque for a Dh3000 to a relative and this person issued it to a company and this company put Dh30,000 on it and of course it will bounce.
She has children and a family depending on her. Aside of warning the issuers, I think there should be restrictions for banks and lending companies requiring blank cheques for credit cards and loans.
From Ms Lara
Abu Dhabi
Website comment
Guaranteed cheques mystery
What about guaranteed cheques that are given for guarding a contract? These need to be attended by the civil court. People don’t seem to return these guaranteed cheques even after completion of projects due to petty disputes.
Is it fair to allow a few people to use these guaranteed cheques as an advantage in these types of situations? These matters should directly be addressed to the civil court. You are not liable to pay up for a guarantee cheque if you have completed your project. Disputes and further claims cannot be amounted to the entire guarantee cheque amount. I pray a new law comes in place to protect the rights of people falling prey to ‘guarantee cheques.’
From Ms Priya
Dubai
Full name withheld by request
Banking request
What about banks who invariably take a blank cheque against issuing a credit card? In 95 per cent of cases, it’s the banks that indulge in this nefarious illegal activity and request blank cheques from hapless customers under duress. It will be a good idea to legally prohibit banks from this practice.
This will have another very desirable outcome as banks will have to be more diligent in evaluating a customer’s credit worthiness while issuing credit cards and deciding on the spend limit. At present, credit cards are issued rather recklessly. I think it is with the sole objective of achieving the target.
From Mr G. Rao
Dubai
Salary delays
This issue is mainly starting from salary delay issues. If the company has not paid a salary for two months or more, or if their payments have been irregular, the workers are forced to use credit cards to manage their basic expenses like rent, utility payments, transport, medical expenses and food. These types of expenses come along, even if salaries do not.
In the end, they are unable to return the money to the bank because of their salary issues and become over due and that’s when the bank takes action. If salaries come on time on a regular basis, credit cards and personal loans can be avoided.
From Ms Saravana
Dubai
Website comment
Unofficial practices
What about the banks asking for a blank cheque against the full amount of personal loans or mortgages? They use these cheques as a security against the ones getting the loan because a bounced cheque is a criminal offence in the UAE.
The cheque comes over and above all the legal guarantees. To me, when I see this, it’s an unofficial practice that I believe should be banned by the central bank.
From Mr Yamen
Dubai
Website comment
Stop complaining
Ramadan is not a month to rest (‘Ramadan work hours for UAE private sector announced,’ Gulf News, June24). It’s a month to pray and ask for forgiveness from God. The month of Ramadan should not have any effect on someone’s professional life. We are lucky to have such good Rulers in the UAE that are making our lives easier by reducing our working hours. Please, stop complaining. May God bless us all.
From Mr Mohammad Moiz Siddiqui
Dubai
Equality in sectors
There should be equality in Ramadan hours and Eid holidays for public and private sectors. Most private companies will make only two holidays on Eid and if it falls on a Friday, it means you will get only Saturday off.
From Mr Asad
Dubai
Website comment
Lunch break not needed
I think this announcement is to appease the employers, not the employees. Earlier, it was announced that work hours would be six hours. This can be interpreted by companies at their own will. We are already at work for nine hours once the lunch break in taken into consideration. Reducing two hours would make a shift 9am to 4pm. Why should we count lunch break if we can’t use it during work hours?
From Mr Sak
Dubai
Full name withheld by request
Discrimination
Every year it’s the same news release. All employees are to be treated equal and have reduced work hours during Ramadan. Yet, a major company has just released its Ramadan policy, which states that it only reduces the work hours for their Muslim staff. There is no overtime pay for the non-Muslim staff to compensate for not reducing working hours. I wish that the authorities would investigate this because, as it stands, these employees remain openly discriminated against year after year.
From Mr Louie Tedesco
Dubai
Facebook comment
Checks and fines
I hope that the Ministry of Labour will do thorough checks and impose a heavy fine on companies not following this directive on Ramadan timings.
From Ms Arlene
Dubai
Facebook comment
Not always applied
Most of the private sector will continue to work as normal if their staff is not Muslim. People working in the malls will sometimes work 14 to 16 hours during Ramadan due to high traffic and crowds. Many non-Muslims are now fasting in Ramadan, too.
From Mr Joseph
Dubai
Facebook comment
Satisfying everyone
The employees for both the public and private sectors will be fasting for almost 15 hours. Because of this, I think it is only fair through humanitarian grounds that both sectors should be allowed to work the same hours. I hope next year it will be considered. Maybe for Muslims, they can keep the hours as 9am to 2pm and for non-Muslims, six hours. This way everyone will be satisfied.
From Mr Afzal
Dubai
Website comment
Private companies obeying
The authorities have announced the timings for Ramadan for the private sector. But, do all private companies follow this? I worry that they don’t and that hours will still be seven hours or more.
From Ms Hemalatha
Dubai
Facebook comment
Editors’ note: Is there a news report that you feel strongly about? Something that has to be addressed in the community and requires resolution? Email us on readers@ gulfnews.com. You can also post a comment on our Facebook page or tweet us @GNReaders.
