SALARY DUES AND TERMINATION !! How can we get our money?
Hi,
I was terminated (with 1 month notice) from a company whom I was working with since July 2015. Not just me, 15 people were terminated which is around 50% of the staff strength. For last 2 years company was not doing well and I have 6 months salary dues as on today. Company is 40+ years old and the Top management convinced us to stay in the company making false promises (realised later!) even after having long salary dues and we were trusting them, also COVID came in between. With this mass termination it looks like the company is moving to a complete dissolution but they are not telling us anything clearly. Few people left the company recently and some were been terminated but none of them got their complete settlement when they left (they got only 30 - 40% of the salary dues/ EOSB). We have seen people begging for money with the Finance Manager/ CEO even in last day they were leaving/ after they left company.
Can someone answer me how we are legally protected and how we can take our whole settlement ? and where we should approach to move legally ? and how many days before the last date of service we should get our settlements from the company, is it the last day they give money ? if so, the last day the CEO will come and say he is helpless : which is our experience for last couple of months). Also what is the minimum notice period company should give us (all of us have completed 5 years in the company) ? and we want to know the procedures or offices we should approach for quick response ?
Your answers will be helpful.
Thank you in advance
Aus, These type of Essays are not new from 'glb' ....
An Idle Mind 'glb' always confuses even the people who are serious with their situations ........
Australis1: From what I have noticed and understood, Qatar has two types of sponsors. One of them are those who are Sheikhs and who belong to the royal family. Companies under their sponsorship are looked and handled differently. The second lot of sponsors are just the ordinary Qataris.
This realization came when I worked for a company Bin Thani Electromechanical Contracting and Trading Company (BEMCCO). The company has a Sheikh as a sponsor. The people who run this company are three brothers from Chennai, India. They are crooks. One of the brothers Amjadh who is an Admin. Director is a person who is cruel, without any morals or moorings, rules or religion, fear or feelings. His god is money.
In the year 2013, a similar incident like what you are facing now took place with me. The company BEMCCO wouldn't pay salaries to its employees for months even when the company was doing well. Later on due to their ways of doing business, they lost a major contract. The company went into a spin spiraling downwards. Many people (around 600) were terminated withing months and they left without being able to get their money and benefits. They did not want to go through the hassle of going to the Labour Court.
Like the others, I also got axed. They did not want to give me my money. But I took a stand. I took action.
I went over to the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) to seek their help. They were not willing to record my petition.They told me that the company had too many complaints and any further complaint would create a big problem for it. They advised me to go to the Labour Court. It was just "passing the buck". After all who would like to lose his job by registering a petition against a company whose sponsor was a Sheikh!
I went over to the Labour Court and lodged a case. My complaints were that the company gave me no Contract ( which I heard they didn't give for people in the high salary bracket) and also they were not paying me my salary. The hearing was set for the next day.
I was at the Labour Court 15 minutes early to the time set for the hearing. I was then given the news that the judge who was assigned to hear my case, was on leave for the past couple of days and would not be available for several weeks! (Ha! Ha!) I began to understand things! I was advised to meet the "Mudeer". Also, the Mandoob (PRO) from my company did not turn up for the hearing possibly because he was aware that no hearing would be taking place!
I met the "Mudeer". When I told him I was from BEMCCO, he immediately retorted that I didn't have a Contract and without a legalized Contract, the case could not proceed. The whole thing was clear as crystal. When I met the Admin. Director Amjadh following this, he laughed on my face.
Regrettably, the system of justice for getting employees their salaries and benefits is just too long-winded. It helps employers as most employees are unable to wait that long with no income after they have been terminated and fight it out till the end.
However, a colleague of mine had the resources to do so. He filed a case against at the company at the Labour Court and won the case. The court ordered the company to pay.
They simply didn't.
My colleague went back to the Labour Court and was advised to take the matter to the Shari'a Court. He filed a case with the Shari'a Court. After several months, the Shari'a Court gave its verdict in favour of my colleague and ordered the company to pay. The company then began to "negotiate" with my colleague "begging" him to accept 50% of the settlement. He simply refused. Finally, after several weeks of "promises" the company buckled and finally paid up the full amount.
From the above incidents, you will realize that while seeking the help of law you will eventually get your benefits, but it is a long-drawn job. The employers are well aware of all this. Hence, the game of robbing employees of their legal rights by employers continue unabated.