DUBAI // A group of merchant seamen in Pakistan have accused a Dubai shipping company of withholding their pay for six months.
Syed Farhan Ali said he and his colleagues were hired by a recruitment agent in Karachi to work on a ship in Nigeria for six months, preparing it to be taken to India where it was to be sold for scrap.
Mr Ali said the men joined the vessel in three groups, between April and mid-June last year.
"Those who joined at the end of April received two months' salary and those who joined in June received only one month's salary," he said."It was paid in August and September 2011.
"In the last week of December 2011 the owner asked our captain to hand over our passports to an agent in Lagos, Nigeria, where the ship was anchored.They promised us our salaries when we reached the hotel to catch a flight back home. But salaries were never paid."
The seamen have since returned to Pakistan.
"The captain even went to Dubai to talk to the owner and get the salaries, but he has not been cooperating with us," said Mr Ali.
Hafeez Ur Rahman, a chief officer on the ship, said the crew members' families had been living without pay for about 10 months.
"We don't know who to approach or how to solve the matter," said Mr Rahman. "One man's father died because he could not arrange money for his heart surgery."
The owner of the shipping company said the men did not work for his firm and he had nothing to do with the issue.
"We have not recruited anyone to work for our company," he said. "What they are saying is not true."
A document of sale shows the Dubai owner sold the ship in January last year, but the seamen insist it was in his possession for the duration of their employment.
They have approached the International Transport Workers Federation in the UK and Flying Angel, a charitable organisation in Dubai that helps distressed seafarers, to resolve the matter.
Neither organisation could be reached for comment.
frahman@thenational.ae
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The flights
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Seattle from Dh6,755 return in economy and Dh24,775 in business class.
The cruise
UnCruise Adventures offers a variety of small-ship cruises in Alaska and around the world. A 14-day Alaska’s Inside Passage and San Juans Cruise from Seattle to Juneau or reverse costs from $4,695 (Dh17,246), including accommodation, food and most activities. Trips in 2019 start in April and run until September.
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- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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