New Human Resource Minister Hassan Latheef held a press briefing on Thursday, 27th of November to brief the media on the issue of labour – including the growing problem of expatriate labour. Some of the highlights of this meeting are as follows:
1. Maldives joining the ILO:
Minister Latheef said that the new government has decided to join the International Labour Organization (ILO) by 04th December. This is an important step which the old government of Gayyoom has been procrastinating. This means that the Maldives will be a member of ILO within the next five days. It was revealed that the initial administrative cost of joining the ILO will be a relatively meager amount of about RF 350,000 or about usd 30,000.
2. Impasse between resort employees and the resort operators:
Maldives will get numerous benefits by being a member of ILO. We will get technical help to formulate various regulations regarding employees and we will get the knowhow on how to form and regulate trade unions (which is a very alien thing to us). The ongoing dispute between resort employees and the resort operators is one example of the current problems in the sector. Resort employees demand the full implementation of the labour law by the resorts while the resort operators say that this law is designed for civil servants and is hence not suitable for industries such as tourism and fisheries. If trade unions were functioning properly in the Maldives such disputes could be solved without the level of impasse that is prevailing currently.
3. Close the corrupt “Thauleemee Fund”
Joining the ILO would also provide us technical help in running pensions funds and social security funds. This would make the existing funds such as the “Provident Fund” more profitable to the employers and the employees. On this note it has to be pointed out that there are very inefficient and corrupt funds such as “Thauleeemee Fund” (Education Fund) which is operated by the Ministry of Education. This fund has many plots of land and buildings which they rent out and earn a significant amount of money. Employees of the education sector are supposed to get loans from this fund but it is often used as a political tool by the heads of the education ministry to make political rewards. Hence I call upon the new government to take all this land back to the state and close this corrupt fund called the “Thauleeemee Fund”!
4. It will cost the government a staggering usd 10 Million to catch the 20,000 illegal expatriate laborers:
The government estimates that there are about 20,000 illegal expatriate laborers who are in hiding or on the run. At an estimated cost of about usd 500 per head, this will cost the government a staggering usd 10 Million to catch, detain and subsequently deport these 20,000 people. The biggest problem, said Minister Latheef, is to find proper accommodation to detain such illegal immigrants who are caught. The new Controller of Immigration and Emigration recently suggested to me that it could be better to bring the immigration problem of the expatriates under his department. Perhaps this is something that can be worked out between the Human Resource Ministry and the Controller of Immigration and Emigration.
MDP brought the protest culture and will they handle it
ReplyDelete"Anonymous 29/11/08 11:05" is a drp supporter who is attcking bushry just out of frustration that his beloved gayyoom is out of power. To conceal his real identity he is saying that "Maummon (Gayyoom) is a rotten egg"! Why don't you face the fact that drp is now in the opposition. The protest that they held friday night to voice their opposition to the proposed extension of the elase period of the resorts to 50 years was perfectly legitimate if only they meant it! Gayyoom was the one who was planning to extend the lease period for 99 years and now that mdp is proposing to extend it for 50 years, gayyoom's drp is opposing the idea!
ReplyDeletebushry. i was a fan of you till now. but nor more. u sucks
ReplyDeleteread himeyn inglibaabu or and some business litrature on investment duration and feasibility and current investment preferences for investors.
" Resort employees demand the full implementation of the labour law by the resorts while the resort operators say that this law is designed for civil servants and is hence not suitable for industries such as tourism and fisheries"
ReplyDeleteThis is not true Bushry! We the employees who love to work in resorts and who care about the daily operations of the resorts (which eventually generates big money to our economy- directly or indirectly) are saying that this law is designed for Civil servants. We need rights but lets not go crazy! We have to always think of win/win solutions. There should be a law with minimum wage rate, maximum working hours etc, but keep in mind we can not take day off on Friday and you can not make resort owners pay for this. Don't be biased. Think both ways. There are some resort owners who is not giving a shit abt it as well, as you can see Reethirah (the best in Maldives) and i think they are not responsible either. At least they have to implement the maximum working hours etc, even though they can not do Friday OFF. This is not a voice of Resort owners, this is a resort employee and i think there would be others who share my opinion.
Resort owners are greedier than ever before. The more they earn the greedier they get! Employment law is like an alien thing for us, and the resorts are just hitting around the bush, not knowing how exactly should be dealing with the law. Resorts are in operations for over three decades and there hasn't been any sort of law, regulations or whatever it's to deal with employees in a win-win approach.
ReplyDeleteWorking in the HR profession, I don't find any problem with the Employment Act as to its implementation. There's no reason why it shouldn't be implemented in the resorts. It's just because this law is new and they don't know how to go about implementing it. What they need is to get advice from lawyers and other experts and make employees aware of every bits in the employment Act. I think the problem is with the interpretation of the Act.
i'm not a lawyer. but there is somehting called class action.
ReplyDeletei suggest all resort employees if you havent got the rights given in the law sue them for millions of dollars. go guys go. we the people are behind you.
and you also need to protest against 50 year lease (i can agree to it if the 80 percent of shares will be sold general public) so that you will be free from them
its time for a different kind of struge to free us from bunch of 5 resort owners who ar econtroling the economy.
If they give resorts to 50 years lease, at lease 35% or 45% of the share must be sold to the public and traded in Maldive Stock Exchange. Also there must be an employee share scheme.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise this is just daylight robbery of our most valuable assets by Annis Government to appease the businessmen who funded his campaign and people in the Gasims Republican Party.
If this not dont, WE MUST NOT VOTE TO MDP & THE COALITION SPONSERED MP'S TO THE PARLIAMENT. WE MUST CHOOSE GOOD CANDIDATES FROM THE PROMISES TO KEEP THE BUSINESSMEN AT BAY FROM STEALING OUR NATURAL RESOURCES (RESORTS).
Funny that still everything is viewed as a 'Mumoonu vs. Anni' issue :)
ReplyDeleteIf we make public interest companies, we should pass laws to that effect. bankruptcy laws, antitrust laws ......our lawyers will have field day pocketing from the widfalls of leegal loopholes
ReplyDeleteThe maldives is now open to the world for business and few people know it. perhaps we should mke it known...we will be like Russia....heleveyiru onnaanee hurihaa ehecheh vikifa
ReplyDeleteDear Hassank (Human Resource & Youth Minister), we think that what Ibra did last night was unethical and unprofessional in the party-syetm-of-governance. This may legally affcet your postion as youth minister as a representative of Ibra's party in the caolition. His action is showing that by default he is out of the Iththihaadh (coalition). You are a young and energetic minister now...and if you have any sense of serving this nation and also furthering your services, we advise that you leave Ibra's party and join MDP.
ReplyDelete..an appeal by youth!
btw Hassanko (human resource & youth minsiter)'s mobile number is 7781958. (please call the minister as a concerned youth and advise him regarding the above comment)
ReplyDeleteIbra aai maibadha Umaru mihaaru ulhenee Endherimage family aai kaamineege aailaa aai eku DRP dhiruveytho. Ibra akee evves iraku raiyyiythunnah heyo edhey meeheh noon. Mulhin salthi anaga thalhaafa abadhuves thaaidhu kuraanee maumoonuge leberal-secular usoolthakah. "Socail liberal party" ey nun kiyanee ves?
ReplyDeleteIbra's own sister left Islam and became a Christian some eyars back. Ibra's party belives in liberal and secular ways. Think about this. They label MDP as "christians" but do you think a Gayyoom government or Ibra's government would allow the sort of things that we are seeing now in our religious circles? .... free Khuthba's and Sheikh Fareed given pemission to preach and all! No! Ibra and Gayyoom are slaves of secular-western-colonialists! (Even Maibadha-Umaru is better than Ibra. He at elast didn't join the coalition. Ibra is now back-stabbing the coalition after getting his minsiterial share! What a hypocrite!)
ReplyDeleteAs long as people such as Gayyoom, Yamin, Abdullah Hameed, Adam Zahir, Ilyas and Abbaas (and Gayyoom's children Farish and Gassan and Dhunya and Yumna and Baburu Ali Waheed and Alhan Fahmy....) and all the other thugs are free to roam and create evil and mischief, this country will never be safe. They could create terrosrist acts and even harm the Presidnet and basically do anything. Obviously Ibra and Maibadha Umaru and Reeko Ibrahim Manik and the rest are now going to help the above gang. Hasn't Nasheed learnt a lesson now. He should stop protecting the thugish Gayyoom and prosecute criminals such as Gayyoom, Adam Zahir, Ilyas, etc. Without that we will never be able to escape the dark ages of gayyoom. The riskj is still there.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it that some of you are agains secular governance. Freedom of relegion is a thing of the past except few like us.
ReplyDeleteAnd don't label liberals as westerns. Im not from liberal party, but from MDP, but i support secularism. I don't think any president can be fare and good to people if he/she does not allow his/her citizens to be free from regilios if they chose to. these people eh!
And howmany leaders all over the world know Shahadai Kiyan! Shahadai kiyan engey veriyaku 30 aharu verikan kuri iru rayyithun thebee Shahada thu ge namuga jaanaa maalu Maumoonah Gurubaan kohgen.. Emeehakah egeynee emeehakah shahadai kiyan egenyya nuvatha Jeheyenyya! why is this possessive attitude!!
ReplyDeletewhy is this possessive attitude!!
ReplyDeleteSo why delete my post?
"As long as people such as Gayyoom, Yamin, Abdullah Hameed, Adam Zahir, Ilyas and Abbaas (and Gayyoom's children Farish and Gassan and Dhunya and Yumna and Baburu Ali Waheed and Alhan Fahmy....) and all the other thugs are free to roam and create evil and mischief"
ReplyDeletePls bring a new story.Boring topic..Maumoonu is planning this,yamin is planning that..
MDP is acting like a dictator now. does everybody in the coaliation should agree to each and everythin MDP and presidents does even if it is selling the country.
ReplyDeleteHassanko. dont listen threat by MDP. keep up the good work. if anni throw you out, it just shows that anni is no better than gayoom.
people has to see that to believe it.
and ibra, thank you for being with us last night. you maybe the only one not sold out.
@Anonymous 29/11/08 18:08
ReplyDeleteI was not the one to delete your comment! I am not the blog owner! Sorry i was also surprize to see your comment is not there. I would like to delete my comment now as it does not make sense! Sorry man!
Guys, joining this or that – is it the REAL problem? What is the real problem we face? Hilarious isn’t it one law for A, another law for B? and NO LAW for C? Boy! Do we have problems!
ReplyDeletehey, calm down, calm down guys. Jasmine at least provided good aroma-therapy through her fragrance.
ReplyDeleteMr. Bushry no one in his sane mind will say it's just adding 15 more years to the current 35 years. Here we are talking about the backbone of our economy.
ReplyDeleteDoes the meager amount of money that would be raised by extending the lease makes it jutifiable??? We are talking about our future. Is a parliament that's transitional and represented by unelected members suitable to make such a important decision????
I am not a expert on economics. And neither is Mohamed Nasheed or the members of the parliament or his Cabinet. We need economical feasibility studies to support this. Not just the words of MATI or Koli Clan.
Atleast couldn't our new president wait for the new parliament to make this decision atleast.
And I wonder why you would lobby for the Resort Owners.
Let us face the facts. No single party will ever get 50% of votes in any future election, thus leaving parties to join each other to defeat another group of parties. Therefore, the current colliation will either represent the government for the forseable future or some will leave and join Golha. Therefore it is advisable that the current regime consult with parties before they make major decisions. MPD is currently contemplating to bring new leaders currently dominated by Hameed clan.
ReplyDeleteCan anyone understand why the koli clan who had backed Maumoon for yonks, all of a sudden turn to endorse Anni?? There is more to this change than meets the eye! It is only now that I am realising what a fool I was to think the change was coming in our favour.........it never will, the poor will remain poor and the rich even richer. They are vampires, out to suck our blood!
ReplyDeleteAnni isthiufaa anyone?
ReplyDeletePlease send an email
ReplyDeleteinfo@clintonglobalinitiative.org
urging President Clinton to cancel the invitation of Golhabo to the Hong Kong Summit.
DRP is contemplating to bring new leaders from Hameed Clan to DRP leadership and defeat Endhirimaage clan
ReplyDelete"DRP is contemplating to bring new leaders from Hameed Clan to DRP leadership and defeat Endhirimaage clan"
ReplyDeleteNice sentence without proof to divert the real topic
hey Bush
ReplyDeletewhat is Mr President doing now? shahid, a traitor who shed blood in maldives on 3rd Nov 88 is a state minister now.. and that too he is a state minister of Defence! this is like slapping us Maldivians who voted for Nasheed. Nasheed has betrayed us. this is not what we expected from him. does he have no respect for the civilians who lost their lives on Nov 3rd? Does he have no respect for the martyrs who fought to protect us on Nov 3rd? they fought for us till their last breath, and is this what they laid their bodies for? shame on u MR president. Tell me, Mr president, what face are u going to show to HUssain Adam's parents? tell me, what face r u going to show to the families of the soldiers who laid their lives to protect us? shame on u president. shame on u. i repent voting for u bastard
Im surprised no one said anything about the corrupt "Thauleemee Fund"! anyone?....
ReplyDeleteReethirah has sacked some protesting-staff! Waht si the toursim minsiter (Sawad) doing about this? Reethirah is contrevening the labour law. These people should sue Reethirah and the government should try to either revise the labour law or implement it fairly and equally to everyone.
ReplyDeleteWhy can’t the current Controller of Immigration (Jawaahirwaadhee Ilyas) and the current Human Resource Minister (Latheef) do something to quickly remedy the growing expatriate-labour problem (especially those laborers in hiding)? We need to address this issue in a broader sense. The drugs crisis is also related to some degree with expatriate laborers. Crime is also related to this through drugs. Other social problems are also, to varying degrees, related to this labour problem. So if we can solve this problem and make it more sustainable and manageable, we can solve many other related social ills too. Think about it....
ReplyDeleteHey "Anonymous 30/11/08 09:45" don't try to fool us. You didn't vote for Nasheed or MDP! You voted for Golhaa and now u r venting your frustration by picking some excuse to attck Nasheed under the guise of an MDP supporter. How pathetic!
ReplyDeleteWhat a pretending-loser this IDP-Umar-Naseer is! The Backbone-Master-Kungfu-Kicker is happy to fight DRP's battele because Yamin has given him a few million bucks. What a loser!
ReplyDelete"Hey "Anonymous 30/11/08 09:45" don't try to fool us. You didn't vote for Nasheed or MDP!...."
ReplyDeleteHahah..some of these guys even know the unseen.They know who is the commenter,to whom he voted for,who is supporting who..etc
Didnt Ibura vote for MDP?
ReplyDeleteCant u see he is now attacking MDP because there is the parliamentary elections coming soon
call for all residents of Male: "Don't vote for Endheri_puppet Iburaa"!
ReplyDeleteYes only MDP alone should exist in the political scene.No media,no oppostion,no NGOs.MDP are infallible.Its haraaam to condemn them.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletegf
ReplyDeletebushry kaley tee annige boy dho.
ReplyDeletekaleya heyo komme gothaka anni kantha kuriyas aa ekey kiyaafa ulheynan dho. yes boss.
kaleyves tee viyafaariverieh neygeyne fageerunge hituge vayneh. Anni sarukaarugaves tibee hus viyafaarivetin netey dahfanteege ekakuves. Anni GANJAABO. GANJAAFORCE beynunkogen denn aharemenkahala nikametin maraalaa.
I call on all the Maldivian staff working in the resorts to take this guy Gasim to the court, who does he think he is, ruffian
ReplyDelete