stoned_prophet wrote:Hi
I am working in a company in Hariyah freezone sonce april 2007. I am on Unlimited contract. I have resigned with one months notice as we did not get our salaries on time, nor do we have any medical insurance. I am with my family and kids. I find it very hard to live when salary is not there. Now my noctice period is over, but my boss is not cancelling my visa, he says he put a one year immigration ban on me, i have given a written complain in hamriyah authority moreover two other employees have done the same. We have no salary certificates and get money cash and have to beg every month for salary.
Pleas let me know if he can put a immigration ban on me. I am on engineer visa. And aslo how i can challenge the ban if applicable.
regards
There are a few issues here.
1. Non-Payment of salary: Definetely report them to the authorities. You say you have "no salary certificate". Nevertherless, you must have a contract as you mentioned an "unlimited contract". This document should be sufficient to show that you are entitled to remuneration...
2. Health card. As part of your employment contract you are entitled to a health card (not the same as private health insurance) which allows you to obtain health care from certain health facitlities.
3. Employment Ban: The issue is not whether or not you gave timely notice but how long you were employed before you gave notice. In your case (based on your post) you only worked for them since April 2007 and must have given notice at the latest on November 30 (for it to have expired by now). Accordingly, you would have only worked for 9 months (from April 1 to December 30) which is less than one year . If you were working in Dubai outside the Freezone this would be a problem and woudl subject you to an employement ban. On the other hand, if you were working in say the JAFZ and moving to another companny within the freezone then you would not have a problem. Remember that the ban relates to the filing with the labor department something which is not done when employed at the free zone (filings are done at the freezone). You must check the specific rules for the freezone (and Emirate) where you are employed at the moment.
A suggestion is that you lodge the complaint against the employer about the non-payment of wages and health card matter and then wait until the year is over (April 2008) before resigning (if that is possible now) in which case there will be no "employment ban" issue. If the Employer fires you because you complained then you should be able to lift any ban as you will be able to demonstrate that your filing was in retaliation for your complains about salary (thus a wrongful termination of your employement contract). At the time you complain about the none payment fo salary you should also ask the free zone about the issues relating to you leaving your present employer etc.
Good luck and do not be intimidated by the fact that this is in "Sharjah" or that the company might be "connected" etc.
Another suggestion is that you look in this forum for other posts related to employement ban (use the search function at the top right of the forum) particulary those by "Dxbsoul" who is particularly knowledgeable about employment/labor matters in Dubai/UAE.
Good luck.