Employer forced me to sign blank paper - worker

A man has claimed in court that his former company forced him to sign a blank paper before he began employment and later filled it in with a letter falsely saying he had received his end of service benefits when he resigned.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs referred the case to Dubai's Labour Court after Leonard Mendez, 35, a former laundry supervisor, filed a labour complaint in May that the company was intending to deduct money from his end of service benefits.

A court hearing to decide the case is expected on August 21.

Mendez said the problem began when he resigned in February 2005.

The company gave him a letter on April 28, 2005, formally accepting his resignation and agreed to pay his end of service benefits.

The same day, Mendez said his manager, told him the cost of two annual leave air tickets would be deducted from his end of service benefits.

Mendez then appealed to the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, claiming the deduction was illegal.

During the hearing, he said the manager showed the labour official a document he said Mendez has signed for receipt of his end of service benefits in November 2004.

Mendez, who began work with the company in 1997, said the letter was "on paper yellow from age."

"I told the labour official he made us sign blank papers when we began work at the company."

The labour official referred the case to court. There have been two hearings so far.

The laundry owner's original court submission said Mendez had resigned at the end of April, but received benefits in November 2004, four months before he resigned.

The second submission denied Mendez had ever signed a blank piece of paper when he was first employed.

Mendez has claimed to the court that all the company's workers were forced to sign blank papers before they began employment at the laundry.

He also argues that end of service benefits can only be given when workers end their employment at a company, not before which would mean the letter is void.

Mendez said he did not know why the end of service benefit letter was dated November 2004, and said he had not asked to resign at any time through 2004.

Three workers contacted by Gulf News said they were also forced to sign blank papers before beginning employment. They declined to be named.

One worker said: "I signed a blank paper and a paper with Arabic written on it. I was told, 'Everybody signs, you sign as well. If you don't sign, bring a ticket and fly back to India."

Mendez also showed Gulf News a letter signed by 24 former and current staff members, stating that they were also forced to sign blank papers when they first began work.

Gulf News contacted the company's owner, but he declined to comment.