Former Petrofac employees receive their November salary

Dubai: Former Petrofac employees laid off on November 19 say they have now received their salaries for the 19 days worked this month, offering brief relief in a period marked by confusion, financial strain and concerns over end-of-service benefits.

Gulf News contacted several employees to verify the update. “Yes, we received the salary for 19 days on Monday,” one former manager said, adding that the partial payment was expected but still difficult to navigate.

“Definitely monthly salary versus 19 days salary will always be difficult for everyone to manage their expenses,” he said. “You’ll have to manage and cut corners to handle your expenses. That’s for everyone, not only for me.”

What remains unclear, he stressed, is what comes next.

Staff were told that Petrofac would issue a statement of account within 14 days from November 19, outlining gratuity, notice-period obligations and other outstanding dues. For many, that statement is the only document that will determine whether their claims are honoured.

“The main question still remains about the end of service and the notice period,” the manager said. “I was on a three-month notice period. When I am ready to serve my notice period and the company releases me, they should give me three months’ salary. That is not mentioned yet.”

He added that employees are still waiting for clarity on leave balances and other entitlements. “We will know the next action only after the statement is given,” he said. “Till we have that statement in our hand, we don’t have evidence to say they are giving or not giving. Rumours and speculations will not help us in the real world.”

Employees say the manner in which the layoffs were handled has caused deep distress across the UAE office. Many were informed on November 18 that their roles were ending, with November 19 set as their last day.

“We were all told that some 190 or 200 of us were getting terminated that day itself, with the next day being our last working day,” said one long-serving employee. “We were told that on Friday we will be paid our salaries up to November 19 and that is it.”

Another manager who worked at Petrofac for over two decades said the suddenness of the decision has left long-serving staff struggling to regroup. “People should have been given adequate time to find alternate jobs,” he said. “They called, and the next day they said, ‘This is your last day.’ That was a bit unfair.”

He said many employees are now facing difficult choices. “People have families, schooling, financial commitments. People might have to go back to their home countries. There are 52 nationalities in Petrofac. Everyone has their own compulsion.”

The UAE layoffs are part of a larger restructuring push triggered by the collapse of a key offshore wind contract in Europe. Around 180 UAE employees associated with the two-gigawatt grid programme were laid off on November 18. Staff say between 400 and 500 colleagues globally have been affected in Sharjah, Chennai, India and Malaysia.

“There will be more people to be terminated soon,” one senior manager warned earlier. He estimated that up to 70% of Petrofac’s UAE workforce could eventually be released as the UK administrator works to cut costs.

Several former staff told Gulf News they are hoping the authorities will monitor the situation closely. Some say they may turn to MoHRE or other entities if end-of-service benefits or notice-period dues are not settled.

“They promised the statement of account,” one former employee noted. “We will wait for that. If needed, we will approach the authorities to see whether some legal protection is there.”

He added one final point that captures the sentiment of many: “This is not something the company learned overnight. The financial struggle has been there for two, three years. As senior leaders, what did they plan for the employees? What about the people who served 15, 20 years? That is the question.”

The 19-day salary payment offers temporary relief, but the real outcome will depend on what happens once Petrofac issues that long-awaited statement of account.