19 female hotel workers locked in Dubai villa

Three men have been accused in court of confining 19 female hotel workers inside a villa and not allowing them to go out during their free time or holidays, reports Gulf News.

The three Indian men, a 41-year-old electrician, a 61-year-old supervisor and a 54-year-old cook, were said to have unlawfully locked up the women from sunset to sunrise daily in the employees’ residence in Al Mutainah, Dubai.

Prosecutors said that the 19 women, all from the Philippines, worked for the hotel as receptionists, housekeepers, cleaners and maids.

One of the housekeepers testified that she had been working for the hotel in the Al Muraqqabat area of Dubai for two years.

“I was hired on a AED 600 (US $163) salary. Since I started work, the senior workers told me that it was against the hotel’s policy to go out of the residence during free time or after work or on holidays. Our job shift was from 8am to 8pm. As soon as we returned to the residence, the defendants would lock the doors and prevent us from going out. We were forced to agree because we had no other choice and we were forced also to be obedient to earn a living. However they used to take us out one day a month to go shopping under the supervision of one of the company’s supervisors and we used to be kept under surveillance… even during officials holidays we remained confined. During the confinement period, nobody treated us badly,” she is reported to have told to prosecutors.

A 31-year-old cleaner confirmed the statement adding that she and her colleagues were forced to agree to remain confined to make a living. She was hired on a AED 700 ($190) salary.

A 28-year-old housekeeper also claimed that she was hired for Dh1500 ($408) but when she joined work, the salary was reduced to Dh700 ($190).

“When I asked why, the management told me that they had to deduct the cost of my plane ticket, visa and Emirates ID,” she added.

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All the women were present before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Tuesday.

Prosecutors accused the three men of breaching the Filipinas’ rights and freedom by locking them up unlawfully for a period of one month.

As soon as the women finished work, the trio would lock them inside the villa and keep them confined until the next morning, according to prosecution records.

The trio, who are out on bail, pleaded not guilty and firmly denied their accusations,

Prosecution records cited the defendants admitting that they locked up the women for their own safety and to protect them from being harassed by bachelors who lived in the same area.

Their lawyer asked presiding judge Mohammad Jamal to adjourn the case to present his defence when the court reconvenes on November 24.