Sharjah man evicted from home for suing boss over unpaid dues

Sharjah: A Sharjah-based Indian man is seeking justice after the electricity, water and gas supply to his company-provided apartment were disconnected because he sued his Bahraini boss for four months of unpaid salary and end-of-service claims.

Caught unawares, the family of four including two children, ages 15 and six were forced to rough it out in the apartment without utilities for several days this month.

They used candles, ordered food from outside and visited a friend’s house for their daily ablutions. But with no reprieve in sight, they eventually relocated to another building last week.

“I fought for my rights and look what I got in return,” said a distraught Mohammad Rahim, 55, who had worked for the Dubai-based company as sales manager since 1999.

Rahim said his troubles began last May when his employer stopped paying his salary and moved his business to Bahrain. “I was left in the lurch as he still owed me around Dh325,000 in four months of salary, commission and end-of-service benefits. So I approached the Labour Office in Dubai and filed a complaint,” said Rahim.

He said when his employer didn’t show up despite calls from the Labour Office, the case was referred to the court.

It looked like things were falling in place, but what happened next was something Rahim had never expected.

While the court was still hearing his case, his employer filed a separate lawsuit, seeking Rahim’s eviction from the company-provided apartment. “He claimed I was living illegally as I no longer worked for him. I tried to reason that my lawsuit against him was still pending and that the court should hear both cases in conjunction but my arguments didn’t cut ice,” Rahim recalled.

Following a court order, the Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (SEWA) cut Rahim’s utilities on November 6.

“I have lost my job and my hard-earned money is stuck. If this was not bad enough, I have been forced out of my apartment. Is this justice?” asked Rahim.

Name of Indian sales manager changed to protect identity