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For him ‘there is light after darkness’

Friday, 10 August 2007

Abu Dhabi, August 10: Nour El Islam Mohammad, a 47-year-old Bangladeshi worker, has been living in the UAE for seven years. However, the last year was very bad for him. “I will never forget last year because it was really the worst days in my lifetime,” he said.

He worked as a carpenter in a maintenance company in Abu Dhabi, but after six years of service the sponsor began delaying payment of wages and other dues such as the overtime.

“I lodged a complaint with the Ministry of Labour, but the sponsor did not bother. The MoL referred the complaint to the court. Then I had to spend more than six months without work. Whatever little savings I had, also got over soon,” Mohammad said.

Mohammad’s brothers and friends supported him during the last seven months. “I really suffered. When I fell sick I could not seek treatment because I had no healthcard,” he added.

During the amnesty period, the court has permitted me to seek transfer his sponsorship to another company. “I am so happy because there is light after the darkness. Thank you, amnesty,” Mohammad said with a sigh of relief.

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Worker faints on MoL premises

Friday, 10 August 2007

Abu Dhabi, August 10: A contracting company worker fainted on the premises of the Ministry of Labour (MoL) office here yesterday. He reportedly collapsed of exhaustion.

Pakistani national Bekhtoar Bashagash, 40, had gone to the MoL to lodge his complaint with the ministry against his sponsor.

Officials at the MoL said the worker suddenly fell on the ground. “We called an ambulance and the paramedical staff attended on him here itself. He recovered and did not need to be sent to hospital.” The official added: “He had been waiting his sponsor for about an hour outside the office.”

Bashagash said: “My company had thrown me out of job without paying my wages for the past two months. I was depressed.”

When contacted, Mohammad Ali Ghoulm, head of the Compensations Section at the Dispute Department of MoL said: “We called the PRO of the company to find out the reason for this and settle the matter amicably. On investigating the matter it turned out that the worker possessed a valid labour card, visa and health insurance card.”

Ali Ghoulm added: “We have asked the company to pay the worker his dues and let him continue his work.

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Indian welder hits jackpot

Friday, 10 August 2007

Abu Dhabi, August 10: Kaiyathu George, an Indian national who works as a welder in Abu Dhabi, is the lucky winner of the Abu Dhabi Duty Free Grand Prize of Dh1 million ($272,293.65/ 134,998.91 GBP/ 199,481.91 EUR/ $286,888.02 CAD) .

Abu Dhabi Duty Free yesterday announced 15 winners for the month of July.

George, who said he has been regularly buying three tickets every year, won the grand prize with his lucky ticket number 500-062-02339.

Married, with two children, George has been working in Abu Dhabi for the past six years.

This raffle draw is held every month and is not dependent on the amount of tickets sold.

The other winners are Madhavan Pillai Moniy, Askari Sohrab, Muhammad Saridullah, Sembugam Sathaih, George Thomas Kulathakal, Kalamullathil Ramachandran, Maryam Kunnath, Maria Rethnam Raby, Arif Muhammad Rafia Ibrahim Abdul, Sagren Naidoo, Muhammad Iiyas, Samih Taysir Muhammad Yousif, Bashir Al Alami and Velukaran Rappai Devassy.