Workers who were victims of labor harassment returned home with legal assistance

Sharjah: Malappuram native Kunjahammed Kavumpurath and Tirulveli native Rajasekhar Perumal were able to return home with the free legal assistance of Yab Legal Services. They arrived as tailors at the Al Jabeeb Tailoring Shop in Madam, owned by Basheer, a native of Thrissur, in June last year.

However, the employer made them work for five months without completing the visa stamping procedures and without paying their salaries. When they asked the employer to cancel the visa and send them home because they had not received their salaries and had not completed the visa procedures, they were informed that they would cancel the visa and send them home only if they paid the visa expenses.

Although they approached the Ministry of Labor to cancel the visa and receive their salary arrears, the employer also took a negative approach there. It was on this occasion that they came to know about Yab Legal Services' free legal assistance through the newspaper. They approached Salam Pappinissery, CEO of Yab Legal Services.

The free legal aid program was quickly implemented under the leadership of legal representative Salam Pappinissery to provide assistance in canceling the visa and receiving salary arrears.

The Ministry of Labor sent the case to the Labor Court, and the employer was informed that they would not be given any benefits. However, the team of lawyers at Yab Legal Services convinced the Labor Court that they were due five months of salary. Subsequently, as per the instructions of the Labor Court, action was taken to cancel the visa and send the two back home, paying the salary arrears and flight tickets.