Nurse terminated after renewing her contract

Abu Dhabi: A nurse says she was terminated illegally just as she had renewed her job contract with a special grade and the employer failed to pay her benefits under the contract.

Shamma Hermine, who had been working with elderly health care and handicapped for nearly 10 years at the Abu Dhabi Rehabilitation Centre, says after long, dedicated service she ended "poorer as the employer threatened to use the end of service benefits to pay for housing and she would have to pay the remainder from my own pocket."

She says this has happened despite the fact that she was promised in writing to be allowed to stay in her accommodation until the house agreement is over by the deputy chairman of the Zayed Higher Organisation for Humanitarian Care, which oversees the centre.

"In mid-November last year I was terminated for no apparent reason, just as I had renewed my contract with a special grade, disturbing my daughter's schooling and stopping me from paying back my bank loan.

"Though my contract states that I am entitled to my salary until the end of it, the employer just offered two months' salary as notice period pay.

"Also the employer asked me to leave the house back then, although the housing contract had also just been renewed.

Shamma then contacted the manager of Zayed Higher Organisation, who was then managing Abu Dhabi Rehabilitation Centre, pleading for her job back on the grounds that she was still passionate about her job and that she felt she had so much left to give in terms of work and improvement of the Centre.

His response was that the decision has been made to downsize staff but "she will be allowed to stay in her house until the end of her housing contract."

When contacted, the Zayed Higher Organisation for Humanitarian Care, said in a statement sighed by its deputy chairman that Shamma is entitled to her salary up to November 11 last year, 64 days' annual leave pay, end of service gratuity and two months' notice pay.