Flouting of labour laws

2 October 2007

COMPANIES should pay overtime if the employees are compelled to work for more than the stipulated time as per the UAE labour laws. During Ramadan, it is six hours' work a day. But, in effect, do these firms pay overtime for the employees who have to put in extra hours? I am afraid many firms do not. Even some of the top companies are known not to heed the labour laws in this respect, find some way or the other to trample the employees' rights and make them work during Ramadan without any extra payment. I suggest that the ministry deploy a special team of inspectors to monitor the scenario. Some proactive action from concerned authorities is called for.

Dearth of ablution areas

19 September 2007

THERE, I feel, is a dearth of ablution areas in public places in the UAE. Many people use the wash basins in the rest rooms/toilets to perform wudhu, and this practice is not a healthy one. They have to lift their leg up the wash basins, delicately balancing themselves in one leg, to perform the exercise of washing their legs to complete the wudhu. Proper ablution areas may be built in the rest rooms/facilities so that the elderly and others can utilise them and avoid risking a fall and hurting themselves while performing this religious rite.

I suggest that specific areas be dedicated for ablution purpose so that it will be hygienic too.

Abandoned trolleys

25 September 2007

I AM often surprised to see a number of shopping trolleys being abandoned after use in front of apartments quite far from the supermarkets in Abu Dhabi. If anything, this shows a lack of civic sense.

Of late, motorists are in such a hurry that they do not wait for their turn in the queue. They use the hard shoulder and race ahead while the patient and law-abiding motorists are left behind in his car, fuming.

Public parking spaces are at times blocked and many are parking their cars across parking lanes so as to purposely avoid others the space to park. It is high time for road volunteers to come forward and curb these indisciplined behaviour before they go out of hand.

If it is not stopped, even the better ones will turn worse so that they do not end up losers and then we can imagine what will be the scene. Utter chaos!