Punjab

Former Shaikh employees protest for severance

A UAE government spokesman said the workers had received thrice the amount they were due.

Express August 20, 2010

LAHORE: Some 1,200 former employees of Shaikh Zayed in Pakistan have protested that they have not been paid their due gratuity since the Abu Dhabi ruler’s death, but a UAE government spokesman said they had received thrice the amount they were due.

The 1,200 former workers in Shaikh Zayed’s Department of Personal Affairs (DPA) in Pakistan – called the Darul Khasa – and their families are now living in desperately poor conditions, said Mir Asif Ibrahim, their informal spokesman. After the Shaikh’s death, the DPA was closed in November 2006 with hundreds laid off without pension or gratuity, said Ibrahim.

“A large number of them are over 50 and cannot do any other job. After getting a long service from these people, they have given them peanuts,” he said. “Arab Shaikhs are known for their generosity but in our case, it is the opposite.”

Muhammad Ilyas said he had worked as a driver for the DPA for 17 years, but now he had nothing. “I never thought that there would be such a miserable climax to my job,” he said.

Ibrahim said the former employees had contacted the adviser to the UAE government in Pakistan, Chaudhry Munir. “Our grievances were not addressed, so we decided to protest and hold camps in Lahore and Karachi,” he said.

But Munir said the employees had actually been paid three times more than normal. According to the rules, the amount of gratuity due is calculated as one month’s salary for every year of service.

“We have given them three salaries for each year” as gratuity, Munir said. “Their demands for more are unjustified.”

Ibrahim appealed to the ruler of Abu Dhabi and president of UAE Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Minister for Foreign Affairs Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan to look into the matter personally. “It is the holy month of Ramazan and we would like to appeal to the Shaikhs to consider our demands.”

Published in The Express Tribune, August 20^th, 2010.

COMMENTS (9)

Muhammad Nowman | 14 years ago | Reply The DPA H.H. is run by Late H.H. Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al=Nahyan and after death of H.H. Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Nahyan the DPA H.H. office was succeeded by H.H. successor H.H. Shaikh Nahyan Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and after succession the DPA H.H. was vacate and the DPA H.H. Chairman approved Rs.7 million for repair renovation worls and one year advance rent as requested by DPA H.H> local management, but it is matter of facts the amount spent but after shifting the lay off letter issued to all staffs and about 70 nos. of staff loose their job without any reason whose service was about 10 to 25 years but those who have close relations with local administrator their service adjusted and accommodated whoereas, those who were hard worker and honest to his work not adjusted. Many multinational organization while lay off of their staffs they were provided ex-gratia benefits, even the Govt. of Pakistan still providing facilities of housing, medical, and pension to their staffs and their is not rule in the world those staffs were already adjusted and accommodated can get any benefits even in the holy month of Ramadhan and seems to be mall management. The lay off staff whose services is beyond 10 to 15 years and more and lay off their services may kindly be provided pension benefits as they spent their golden times, medical and housing through H.H. welfare funds, H.H. Shaikh Khalifa Foundaton, H.H. Shakh Zayed Foundation and many foundation are working in UAE or the lay off staff may kindly be given UAE visa to find their job in UAE on purely humanatarian ground. Their Highnesses are very kind to their staffs of DPA H.H. and Their Highnesses kindness shall always be remembered. The lay off staffs are always pray for long life and good health of Their Highnesses of Abu Dhabi.

Mushtaq | 14 years ago | Reply Thanks for the esteemed web to write opinion about lay off staff of DPA H.H. especially the Engineering who had carried out many projects in Pakistan and abord but it is matter of facts from top to bottom staff services were laid off without facilities of medical or pension to cut respectable life with the children, parents and family members. The local managment is responsible for windup of esteemed organization as about 75% of staffs adjusted in their job but 25% middle and junior cadre staffs services were not adjusted and they are facing problems of job as they have spent their golden life and according to my opinion they should be paid pension and medical, whereas, still many plots in Karachi are vacant and open more than 2.5 decades, the open plot can help for housing unit for the lay off staffs no doubt the Royal Family of Abu Dhabi are very kind and help the needy people and it is the practice of Royal Family Members of Abu Dhabi to help the needy people and the said charity works can be done from H.H. shaikh Zayed Humanatarian Funds, H.H. shaikh Khalifa foundations or emirtes foundatons or from H.H. Welfare Funds. According to my opinion the amount may kindly be paid on yearly basis means the actual work have done with out any discrimination of grade or designation so the lower and middle cadre shall get equal amount but the amount only be paid to whose services totally ends and not adjusted or accommodated.

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Haseen A. Siddiqui | 14 years ago | Reply The Staff of DPA H.H. whose service is beyond 10 years and more and not adjusted in any newly management they may kindly be paid pension benefits and whose service is beyond 15 years they may kindly arranged for housing and medical but those staff whose services ends as the price hike in our country it is difficult to make any accommodation or to bear any expenses of medical. The Royal Family Member of Abu Dhabi are very kind to Stff of DPA HH which was run by Late President of UAE, Ruler of Abu Dhabi and founder of UAE for their charity works especialy from Shaikh Zayed Foundation, Shaikh Khalifa Foundation or Emirates Foundations as they have spent their golden times. Haseen Siddiqui

S.M.Ekramul Haq | 14 years ago | Reply The lay off staff means means whose services is removed can get ex-gratia benefit and it is matter of facts those whose services is accommodated and adjusted on old status they had no right to collect benefits as mentioned that middle and low cadre services end whereas, their salary was also low. in my opinion the such staffs can be helped through Shaikh Zayed Humanatarian Foundation, Shaikh Khalifa Foundaton, Emirates Foundation or from H.H. welfare funds like housing, medical, and pension as they have spent their golden times, a comprehensive solution is require.

Muhammad Javed | 14 years ago | Reply According to my opinion the lay off staff of DPA H.H. especially whose service laid off and not adjusted or accommodated within three years they should be paid year wise ex-gratia benefits i.e the service provided as the middle and lower salay was very low, like Mr. Qadir who served as Driver for about 27 yeas his last salary was Rs.12,000/- without any others facilities.

Abdul Qadir | 14 years ago | Reply APPEAL TO H.H. SHAIKH KHALIFA BIN ZAYED AL-NAHYAN I would like to thanks for the esteemed web and especially thanks to Express Tribune to provide an opportuniety to write our opinion/view/gravances to concerned. I was employed in DPA HH Falcon House as Driver and served about 27 years on different cadre but after spending my golden times i am facing too much problems as I am heart patient and my heart surgery was made by kind assistance/approval of DPA HH Abu Dhabi and further medicine was also approved. My service is lay off and after windup of DPA HH. Falcon House i am extremely facing problems due over aged and spent of my golden times. All senior posts of DPA H.H. were adjusted and accommodated (about 75%) staffs were adjusted but the middle and lower cadre not adjusted by the local management in Pakistan and extremely facing problems as i have no facilities of medicine, pension, or housing. Alhemdo lillah it the practice of H.H. Shaikh Khaifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan to help the needy people and H.H. kindness shall always be remembered and humbly requested for kind assistance in this regards especially whose service is laid off and not adjusted/accommodated and jobless or could not find suitable job. Abdul Qadir

farid khan | 14 years ago | Reply In my openion it was better if HH. The Shaiks approve a reasonable % ( 50% ) of last salary as pension of old emplies to bear the part burden of future life of their staff.or for 15 years period. Specially for those who is not get jobs in any section of HH Shaikh Khalifa or their brothers palaces or Management offices in Pakistan and they are about 300 to 400 only. .

Ehtesham Mallick | 14 years ago | Reply RICH TRIBUTE TO LATE H.H. SHAIKH ZAYED BIN SULTAN AL-NAHYAN Being staff of DPA H.H. Engineering i would like to pay rich tribute to Late H.H. Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, who loves the Pakistani and Almedo lillah our country was the second homeland to him and established DPA H.H.Engineering to carry out the development works in our country and he had too much love and affection with the staff of DPA H.H. Karachi and the staff also love him with him too much and when he went for neck surgery the staff always prayed for his long life and good health and Alhemdo lillah after successful surgery when he returned home he was very happy with Their Staff and instructed that no staffs shall be removed or retired from DPA H.H. and if the such could not perform their work due to poor health or any reason then their son or dependents be given chance to serve the organization and the said practice was followed till wind up of esteemed organization. Housing colony for staff of Rahimyar Khan and Larkana were made and further DPA H.H. staff colony was also also in pipe line. Ehtesham Mallick

Adeel Qasim | 14 years ago | Reply Shaikh's must pay attention and clear all the the dues of concerned employments, these poor employees suffering since last three year . Please help them .

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