NEWS FROM THE UAE
Excerpts from UAE Dailies
Worker’s death sparks protest at labour camp
DUBAI — Feb. 19: At least 200 workers of a contracting company refused to report for work for a while yesterday morning, alleging that one of their ailing colleagues died after the in-charge of the labour camp delayed taking him to a hospital.
Chamkar Singh, a 23 year old Indian national and an employee of the company died in Irani Hospital on Saturday. He had complained of a severe headache, some hours before eventually being shifted to hospital.
The public relations officer of the contracting company, however, claimed the camp supervisor had taken necessary precautionary action when Singh complained on Thursday that he was unwell. He was immediately taken to hospital — even though “our labour camp is located in a remote area of Jebel Ali.”
Meanwhile, most of the workers resumed work later in the day yesterday, following a firm assurance from the company management that necessary action would be initiated — including the repatriation of Singh’s body and action against the camp manager if he is found guilty of any negligence.
Also, according to one of the workers, “The company has picked up the medical bill and agreed to assist in repatriating Singh’s body to India at company expense.”
Singh had come to Dubai last November, along with a batch of 82 other labourers. The news of his tragic death has been conveyed to his family in India.
KHALEEJ TIMES
4,724 kg of meat destroyed
ABU DHABI — Feb. 19: About 4,724 kilograms of meat that were found to be unfit for human consumption were destroyed last month, Dr Abdellatif Al Daw, Head of the Meat Inspection Section, Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA), has said.
“The ADFCA’s Quality and Follow-up Unit has finalised the guide for Standard Operation Procedures,” he said.
“About 17 butcheries will be inspected to check whether they are complying with regulations
KHALEEJ TIMES
Workers lodge complaint against salary non-payment
ABU DHABI – Feb. 19: Over 15 Asian workers of an Abu Dhabi-based construction company gathered at the Ministry of Labour (MoL) office yesterday to lodge a complaint against delay in salaries and refusal to grant their annual leave.
The workers of Al Hamed Construction Company alleged they had not received their salaries for the past four months and that they were being denied their annual leave.
When contacted by Khaleej Times, the manager of the company denied the allegations as baseless, saying the company had paid their salaries till December and that the company had the pay slips to prove that.
As for the leave requests, he said, “some labourers wanted to avail of leave because they have found another job here in the country, where they can make more money. Moreover, we needed them for our work.”
However, Mohammad Yaseen , a Pakistani worker of the company said, “I filed a leave request in October 2006 but the company has yet to approve it. I have to see my parents and I have problems back home, which makes it urgent for me to travel.”
Talking about the case, Mohsen Ali bin Qahel, Director of the Inspection Department at the MoL, told Khaleej Times, “we are investigating the matter and we’ll seek to solve it amicably.”
KHALEEJ TIMES
Municipal Fines
ABU DHABI —Feb. 19: The Abu Dhabi Municipality will impose fines ranging from Dh1,000 to Dh3,000 under the new rules on companies and clinics located on the mezzanine and upper floors for fixing their signboards outside the building.
Omar Al Hashimi, Director of the Landscape Department at the Abu Dhabi Municipality, confirmed that the fine would be fixed by the Municipal Court.
He said the fine would be doubled if the violation is repeated. Al Hashimi said that the municipality had launched an inspection campaign in this connection.
KHALEEJ TIMES
Retinal disorders discussed at forum
DUBAI — Feb. 19: Ophthalmologists from across the UAE gathered at the Welcare Eye Centre recently to attend a special Continuing Medical Education (CME)-accredited forum, registered under the regulatory body of Harvard Medical School.
The ophthalmic forum represents a move to bring together specialists from across the country to ensure that international standards of excellence are being adhered to. The forum discussed “Electrophysiological Aids in Diagnosis of Retinal Disorders”.
The speakers included Dr Anupama Rao, Consultant Ophthalmologist, Welcare Eye Centre, and Irene Sophia, Optometrist, Welcare Eye Centre. The forum also included a talk by special guest speaker Christina Fasser, President of Retina Suisse and Retina International, a research foundation headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. “Our aim at Retina International is to promote and stimulate research in retinal degenerations, especially by keeping in touch with scientific developments around the world,” explained Dr Fasser.
KHALEEJ TIMES
Dubai - Horror collision
Dubai - Feb. 19: A collision involving a saloon car and a petrol tanker has left two people dead and four others seriously injured. The injured include three children aged between five and ten years old. The UAE national family was heading towards Abu Dhabi on the Emirates Road when the car veered off the road and struck the parked petrol tanker.
The male driver has been left fighting for his life at the Rashid Hospital in Dubai after being trapped in the wreckage. Police investigating the accident said they were not certain what caused the crash but believed “exhaustion” or “some distraction” caused the driver to lose control and collide with the other vehicle.
The woman sitting in the front seat of the car was thrown through the windscreen and died instantly, police said. Her sister, who was sitting in the back of the car with the children, was fatally injured and died on her way to hospital. The three children escaped the crash with minor injuries and are currently being looked after by family members.
An officer investigating Saturday’s crash said: “It appears that the driver did not apply the brakes at all when he went off the road and rammed the car into the tanker. Fortunately the petrol tanker did not catch fire and explode or there would have been even more deaths.”
Statistics released by the Road and Transport Authority (RTA) have revealed that 267 people were killed and 2,622 people were injured on Dubai roads in the first 11 months of 2006. Emirates Road is the second most dangerous road in the city for fatalities after Sheikh Zayed Road.
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