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From: Regi P George <george_regi@yahoo.com> Date: Mon Dec 20, 2004 Subject: Plight of blue-collar workers Plight of blue-collar workers http://www.hindu.com/2004/12/20/stories/2004122001760500.htm ABU DHABI: The tragic case of an Indian worker in Dubai who committed suicide recently due to non-payment of his salary and shortage of funds to even seek medical treatment once again highlights the plight of blue-collar workers who desperately seek jobs in the Gulf as a panacea for monetary problems and family woes back home. A. Venkatesan, an electrician from a village near Chennai, who paid a huge sum for his work permit barely a year back, was eager to fulfil his responsibilities as the bread winner of his family. With a sister to be married off and a host of other monetary commitments, Venkatesan's family had borrowed from a moneylender in the hope that his earnings would help them return the amount. His shocked family members are now not only mourning his untimely death, but also at a loss on how to clear off the debts, a local daily reported. No immediate solution K.M. Venugopalan, Labour Consul, Indian Consulate, Dubai, told The Hindu that there appears to be no immediate solution to such problems. ``This is an unfortunate case. It is true that workers who come here with great hopes of saving a good amount of money begin to feel frustrated when the regular monthly salary is held up and they are faced with commitments and months of unpaid dues. Some of them are unable to cope with the pressure and worries related to huge borrowed sums back home and other family problems. Even if there is a small regular inflow of money, they feel more confident of handling the situation. Companies must be made responsible to ensure the well being of their workers,'' he said. Authorised agents The official also said that the missions here have been constantly advising aspiring Gulf workers to take up jobs only through authorised agents and only when their contracts have been properly attested. Meanwhile, the labour supply company, which was unable to pay Venkatesan and 250 other workers for four months due to non-receipt of dues from its clients, had talks with the workers in coordination with the Consulate and some sort of interim settlement had been worked out, the consulate official said. Some good news for expatriate blue-collar workers are in the offing as the UAE Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs is reportedly considering dispensing with the requirement of the secondary school certificate for workers employed in some categories. The local media referred to the possibility that this requirement might be revoked, even as representatives from the private sector made a formal representation this week seeking that the certificate be dispensed with. The certification was made mandatory a few years back but unfortunately led to a number of cases involving false certificates. The cost of attestation is also too high for most workers to afford. The Ministry is in fact planning a host of measures to smoothen processing of applications and introduce regulations that will ensure better pay schedules and living conditions for expatriate workers. Several decisions and procedures related to workers like certification, six-month ban from working in the country and action against absconding workers and those employing illegally are likely to be clarified in the coming period. Tax on NRE deposits The decision by the Indian Government to delay the implementation of the controversial tax on interest accrued on NRE deposits has been welcomed by small and high NRI investors. The tax proposal has been postponed to April 2006 and NRIs hope that the proposal may be dropped altogether. They contend that the tax does not serve any purpose as it has only curbed investor interest in Indian bank deposits. Banks dealing in NRI instruments had in fact reported a big drop in deposits in the past few months since the proposal was announced. Plea to scrap proposal The Pravasi Bandhu Welfare Trust in the UAE, which had been spearheading the campaign to get the tax proposal scrapped, maintains that the tax would pose a burden to the small investor who may have to go through the complicated formalities of filling the income tax forms to prove that their interest income is below the ceiling and obtain refund of the tax deducted at source. K.V. Shamsudheen, chairman of the trust said that the low-income people working in construction sites, factories, restaurants, etc. in Gulf countries have no knowledge, expertise or time to file income tax returns to get the refund. They may lose out by neglecting this mandatory exercise, Mr. Shamsudheen said. http://www.hindu.com/2004/12/20/stories/2004122001760500.htm |
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