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Disputes between Ethiopian maids and sponsors rise

DUBAI - The number of cases involving disputes between Ethiopian housemaids and their sponsors has recently increased due to domestic problems, excessive work, mental illness, mistreatment and non-payment of wages, disclosed Hamza Salim, Chairman of the Ethiopian Community and President of the Ethiopian Cultural and Social Club in Dubai.

Around 80 per cent of young Ethiopian women who are working in various emirates in the UAE were brought by illegal maid supply agencies. These agencies have told them that they would work as secretaries, administration personnel or perform other decent jobs, but when they arrived in Dubai, they were forced to work as domestic helpers.

Mr Salim added that when an Ethiopian housemaid is abused and a labourer is ill, they usually turn to the Ethiopian Cultural and Social Club in Dubai for assistance since they have no consulate. The Ethiopian Club is the only entity that helps Ethiopians in distress. During the last three years, the club and the community handled over more than 400 cases, most of them involving ill-treated housemaids.

The club has endeavoured to look into each case, but the number of the problems and cases exceeded the club's capability, particularly when it comes to financial matters such as buying air tickets to maids back to their home country.

He said that the Ethiopian consulate, which will be inaugurated soon, will help solve problems concerning Ethiopian housemaids and provide assistance to the community as well as coordinating consular services.

Mr Salim said that laws for the protection of housemaids are needed in the UAE, which has laws securing the rights of other employees in the private sector. "At present housemaids are being exploited by employers who ask them to sign documents stating that they have received all their dues before leaving the country, while in fact they haven't," he added.

Unfortunately, any employer can cancel a housemaid's visa directly at any airport in the UAE. Most often than not, a housemaid is not even aware that she is being sent back home and that the employer has not even paid her salary.

"The Ethiopian Cultural and Social Club hears seven to 10 cases involving mal treatment of maids every day. But I am sure that there are other cases, which have not been brought to our notice. People can only guess how many housemaids are suffering across the UAE." Mr Salim observed.

He said that some housemaids tend to abscond from their employers because they are terrified.

They fear that any small mistake will lead to deportation. Most of them come from poor Ethiopian families who badly need financial support.

Sapla Tesfy said that she was beaten by her employer whose mother had come to the UAE for a visit and accused her for stealing her gold. It was later found that the lady claimed that her gold was stolen to force her son to buy her new jewellery.

Sara Daniel, another housemaid, ran away when her employer tried to rape her when his wife left the house to visit some relatives.