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No solution in sight for DSA employees

One month down the line, employees of a Direct Sales Agency (DSA) marketing credit cards for a leading Dubai-based bank continue to complain of non-settlement of their outstanding salaries and commission for a period ranging between three to four months.

The exploitation of employees by outsourcing companies for banks is just not restricted to one defaulting agency, but the overall system seems faulty, employees of another Dubai-based DSA for a leading foreign bank also complained. “We were hired by the DSA three months ago and have not been paid our salaries as per the contract,” they said. Most workers hired on visit visas never had their visa status converted to employment on some pretext or another, said an employee who has worked for several DSAs of leading banks.

“After all my experience, I can just say that this industry is the ‘worst’ today in the UAE, exploiting expatriates floating around on visit visas and thereafter dumping them with no salary and residence visa,” she said, urging the local authorities to take strict action against the DSA operations in the country.

She said there is a need for strict regulations on DSA operations in the country to prevent them from marring the image of reputed local and foreign banks marketing credit cards and other banking services in the country.

A group of employees dumped by the DSA of a Dubai-based bank told Khaleej Times that on demanding their outstanding dues, the employer, an Indian expatriate, threatened them of dire consequences. “He told us we could approach any newspaper office to report the matter, or complain to the police, or even file a case against the company in the Labour court, saying ‘but I will not make any payments for lack of funds’.”

The employer informed that the bank had not paid his agency for three months resulting in losses in his business and inability to pay off salaries and commission to the staff.

But, R.M.K., an employee who worked for the DSA for some four months with no salary and commission received for the months of June and July said, “Why should we suffer if the bank has failed to pay the DSA. We were hired by the agency and therefore the agency should settle our dues.”

According to R.M.K., the agency continues to hire people for sale of credit cards for the same bank. Interviews are being conducted jointly by the DSA and bank officials. So how can we believe the DSA proprietor that his business has suffered financial losses and that the bank has failed to pay him for three months.

Another employee, R.K., said he had not received his salary and commission for the months of May, June and July. R.K., who has quit his job but still, awaits receipt of around Dh5, 000 from the DSA.

Another employee said he was made to work on visit visa since April 2004. “I have finally quit my job and my second visit visa is about to expire,” the employee complained.

Meanwhile, one of the employees who now works for a government organisation in Sharjah said it was futile chasing his former employer to settle his dues. He has not paid me for two months. He disclosed that the DSA proprietor also harassed the sales staff by delaying the processing of the credit card applications.

The DSA proprietor when contacted said he had nothing to do with the employees who have complained of outstanding dues. These people have stopped working with us for four months now and are trying to blackmail me. “I have nothing to pay them. We have paid every penny according to our agreement with them,” he said.

• UAE