Local Labor News Roundup for May 2, 2005

Firms told to pay for labour card of workers

Approach labour ministry if maternity rights denied
Be careful what you wish to be enforced.

No wages, no job, no shelter: "DUBAI — More than 122 labourers are down and out in Dubai — no salaries, no job, no shelter — what their company provided them were pigeonholes — no water and no electricity. What’s more, there’s neither company nor sponsor. For the company where they worked has ceased to exist, and the sponsor? He is nowhere to be found. Their total, accumulated unpaid salary dues (for over nine months) are estimated to be more than Dh5 million. Now, they have nothing but the court verdict to hang on for desperate hope — the verdict that compels the sponsor to pay all the late salaries plus tickets for employees to go back home. But then, where is the sponsor?"

Maid fears for her life if she’s not sent home: "DUBAI — Amali Wijiyatunga, the 25-year old ‘runaway’ Sri Lankan housemaid who escaped two months ago from the clutches of prostitution and is currently recuperating in the Rashid Hospital, expressed a fear of threat to her life, if not repatriated soon."

Ministry of Education will soon cancel the fitness test for physical education teachers: "The teachers have been subjected to fitness and weight test every year by the ministry’s department concerned, which fires any teacher found to be overweight or obese. The test is being conducted using the Body Mass Index (BMI) system. The ministry terminates the appointment of any teacher found to have a BMI of over 31 per cent, which, according to the system, is overweight."

MoE depts lock horns over extension of service for 16 education inspectors

Rapco workers’ woes end today

Police move to hike expat staff salaries

Kerala CM vows to curb the flesh trade menace