• Home

15 reasons to wait

IT WAS like 'you got it, I didn't', every time the expat worker in the civic body looked at his national colleague, though the thought was always left unsaid.

It was in May this year that the Dubai government had declared that all its national employees would get a salary hike of 25 per cent while their expat counterparts would be taking home an additional 15 per cent of their salaries.

That was good, spanking great news. If there were celebrations at home, most families of the expats in line for the increase in salary kept it muted, and low-key.

On hindsight, it was best they did so. For, even three months of the announcement, those 'lucky' expatriates are yet to really get that 15 additional per cent of money.

So, what to do? Nothing, but hope that the implementation will take place soon.

Apparently, the government departments are also waiting, for a final nod from 'higher authorities'. And once that nod comes, the 'wait' would end, both for the departments as well as the expats who make a living working for Dubai government.

That is the talk of the town, now that there's nothing more to be said on the demise of the six-month immigration ban, except hope and pray that the ban doesn't resurface with a bang. That is a fear that haunts expats in the private sector. Those in the government sector had 15 reasons to grin. Now, they are 15 more for him/her to grin and wait and 'watch'. The last one also tells the time! And time, even if they are changing, is ticking...

• UAE