Massive backlog of complaints hits workers

Reconciliation panels and judicial panels are two projects planned by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs that never came to fruition in 2003.

These panels were supposed to see the light as early as July last year to handle the massive backlog of worker complaints.

The result is that the number of complaints is increasing day by day and the system is getting more and more overburdened.

Yesterday, 21 Filipino workers turned up at the Ministry of Labour to complain against their foreman and employer over contract substitution, unexplained salary deductions and allowance cuts.

The workers arrived in Dubai four months ago and work as air-conditioning technicians, plumbers, ducting installers and electricians for a subcontractor of a major construction firm. They worked up to 14 hours a day as their project was already delayed before they came.

"We put in about 77 hours of overtime per month for which we were paid just Dh332 for only 50 hours," said Ryan, a technician.

The dispute involves nine foremen and 38 skilled workers who live in Camp 12 in Sonapur.

"We are working to support 38 families in the Philippines," one of them said.

The workers say they signed a contract with their Manila placement agency stating a monthly salary of $400, with free food. When they arrived in Dubai, the management asked them to sign a new contract, but they were never given a copy of this new contract.

Some of them said they earned about Dh1,800 a month with overtime pay.

"Now our working hours have been cut to nine and a half hours (6.30am to 4pm), but our time sheet shows we only have 30 minutes of overtime with a 45-minute lunch break. Since the end of December, our allowances have been cut too,"said a technician.

"The time-keeping is fuzzy, because some people got full overtime pay while others didn't."

They complained about managers fudging the numbers, as they worked for 77 hours and were paid for only 50.

The workers also complain about their accommodation, in which six people are cramped in a room with only a cooking gas cylinder.