Unpaid for over 6 months, Ajman workers starve

Ajman - A collective complaint was lodged by 1,317 workers of the company at the Ajman Court of First Instance.

Over 200 workers of a labour accommodation in Ajman are in dire need of food and other essential supplies due to an ongoing legal quandary. Workers of Essa Engineering and Marine Services L.L.C in the Ajman industrial area have not been paid their salaries for over six months.
A collective complaint was lodged by 1,317 workers of the company at the Ajman Court of First Instance on November 6, 2014. A team of officials from the Ministry of Labour inspected the accommodation and found that the workers stopped work after the company delayed payment of salaries by eight months.
To add insult to injury, supply of electricity and water to the accommodation was cut recently and workers have been using wood from broken furniture to create fire for cooking. "We have been taking water from a nearby mosque," said Subbain Shankar, a worker at the accommodation.
Khaleej Times found that trouble began two years ago. Many workers with salaries as low as Dh800 per month have not been paid for over eight months, according to Mutyala Anjaneya, a mason. The company pays anywhere between Dh700 to Dh1,000 to its workers, of which Dh100 is deducted every month for food.
As the company did not pay workers' salaries and failed to attend court hearings, the Ministry of Labour referred the case to the court of first instance. However, on June 6, the case was referred back to the civil court and the next hearing is scheduled for September 13.
Many workers at the accommodation are doing odd jobs to make some money.
Worker dies of heat exhaustion?
According to workers, a 37-year-old Indian died at the accommodation due to extreme heat on August 9. The deceased used to work as a watchman for the company.
Officers at the Humaidya police station in Ajman said they were waiting for an autopsy report to determine the exact cause of death. The death could have been caused due to a prevailing health condition, officers added.
The deceased, L.C., did not show any symptoms of sickness until a few hours before his death, according to his roommates at the labour accommodation. They said the electricity and water supply was cut a week before L.C.'s death.
The police said the body will be repatriated to Rajasthan, India, after completion of legal and administrative procedures.
Anjaneya said: "He did not have money or a medical card to go to the hospital ... As his condition deteriorated, we called an ambulance, which reached within half an hour. (He was taken to) ... Shaikh Khalifa Hospital ... (where he) died."
According to Aslam, L.C. has two small children. "One is three years old."
Company responds
The public relations officer (PRO) of the firm, Obaid Mohammed, said they took "immediate action" on receiving information about the worker's death.
He said the company has informed L.C.'s family about the death. He claimed the company is helping the workers, "despite the financial problems".
He said the company is providing between Dh2,000 to Dh5,000 to buy food and cooking gas. However, the cook refused to cook for the workers as they do not cooperate with him, he said.
Mohammed said the Ajman Police, Immigration Department and Ministry of Labour are trying to solve the workers' problems.
"The labour ministry brought seven companies, who offered the workers jobs, and the Immigration Department has said they facilitate a visa transfer.
"We have solved the problems of most (of the) workers ... Only 220 workers are remaining," he said.
amira@khaleejtimes.com
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