Court order in hand, consulate in sight… no bus money for justice

12 Indians and 3 Bangladeshis have not received any payment since September, 2011. (SUPPLIED)

Published Tuesday, July 24, 2012

By Sneha May Francis

They have a court order in their favour, but no money to take a bus to court, or their respective consulates.

That is the plight of the 15 workers abandoned by their company with no salary for 10 months or accommodation.

Emirates 24|7 had first reported that these workers, employed by a company that undertakes sub-contracts to lay down cables, have been entangled in a legal battle with their employers since March 26, this year.

Although the court passed a judgment in their favour on May 23, ordering the company to pay amounts ranging between Dh23,000 to Dh35,000 based on each individual case, the owner appealed against it and has since left the country.

A new date - July 12 - was set to resolve the issue, but the owner did not appear in court and the court announced a fresh date on July 26.

The workers do not have even small change to make it on that day.

The Indians in the group, of which there are 12, now want to go to the Indian Consulate for help, once they can beg or borrow the money to make the trip.

With just a few days remaining of their month-long stay in the one-bedroom Satwa accommodation, provided by the company sponsor, the men are worried about where they will go once the rent is not renewed.

“We have no place to go. We are living at the mercy of other people. Many have come forward with food,” informed Anil Kumar, a worker.

With no money and little knowledge of English, the workers are sourcing help from other friends to get all the necessary paper work sorted.

“We wanted to go today (to the Indian Consulate), but we didn’t have enough money to make the trip,” he added. “I’m sure we will get some money organised in the evening and we will go.”

The matter will now have to be submitted, in the written form, to the Indian Consulate’s labour section, detailing the entire incident along with copies of the court proceedings, after which the matter will be taken up. Depending on the merit of the case, the men could be provided with food allowance.

Anil added that their health card, which was provided by the company, does not work. “One of our friends needed some medical help, but when he went to the hospital, they said it doesn’t work.”

The men have already registered a case the Indian Workers Resource Centre (IWRC).