Recession: Techie loses job 20 days after joining firm

Recession Techie loses job 20 days after joining firm

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An IT systems analyst has been sacked by one of the Middle East's largest private property developers just 20 days after he joined the firm.

Abhishek Chetnani, 28, came to Dubai from Mumbai on a three-year employment visa sponsored by Damac, only to be told that he was no longer needed.

He is one of the latest victims of global recession trends hitting the UAE shores hard.

"I was served a termination letter on November 16 with ‘restructuring' as the reason," he said.

Chetnani dealt with software issues at Damac and said nine others in his department, including the manager, have been asked to leave.

"I quit my job with an IT solutions company in Mumbai to come to Dubai and now I can't go back to that job," Chetnani said.

"Dubai is quite expensive and I have not even got a month's salary. Initially I struggled for accommodation, but when I got one, I got this termination letter," he said.

Chetnani said he may be able to stay for a maximum of 12 days with the money he has and is now frantically searching for another job in Dubai. "Damac has told the employees whose services are terminated that it will issue them a no-objection certificate so that they can look out for other jobs."

Similarly, a 25-year-old Indian woman who resigned from her job with telecommunications provider du was shocked when she was told the job she had applied for at Damac was no longer available.

Damac has retrenched hundreds of its employees, mostly Indian, in the wake of the economic downturn.

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