Tag: Jabir

President Waheed appoints Abdulla Jabir as Special Trade Representative

President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan has appointed businessman and Chairman of Yacht Tours Abdulla Jabir as the Special Trade Representative of the President’s Office, at ministerial level.

Jabir, now the deputy leader of fellow businessman Gasim Ibrahim’s Jumhoree Party (JP), has also been a member of both the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP).

Jabir’s wife, Dhiyana Saeed, was the former Secretary General of SAARC prior to her resignation in protest over the detention of Chief Judge of the Criminal Court, Abdulla Mohamed.

The Tourism Ministry under Nasheed’s government sent a letter to the Finance Ministry in August 2011 requesting that “measures be taken” against Alidhoo and Kudarah Resorts, run by Jabir’s Yacht Tours company, for non-payment of outstanding rent and fines.

Then Tourism Minister Mariyam Zulfa also requested action against Giraavaru Island Resort (owned by Abdul Rauf, M. Sunrose), Kihaadhupparu Island Resort (Athamaa Marine International) and Zitali, Filitheyo and Medhufushi (owned by the family of MDP MP Hamza and Economic Advisor to former President Nasheed, Ali Shiyam).

Alidhoo was also the scene of a strike in July 2011 after staff alleged that allowances had not been paid for the previous three months, including service charge and overtime.

The management first told staff that the payments were delayed because the chairman of the company [Jabir] was not in the Maldives, “and when he came back, they said the banks were not giving money to the resorts – how can we believe them now?” a staff member alleged at the time.

The resort’s management dismissed 12 employees following the strike.

Yacht Tours also won a high profile civil court case in January 2010 against the Maldives Tourism Promotion Board (MTDC), after a long-running dispute over Herathera Island Resort.

MTDC had claimed that Yacht Tours had been running Herathera Island Resort without paying rent and took the company to court. In May 2009 Yacht Tours was ordered to pay US$8 million in outstanding rent to MTDC.

However in 2010 MTDC agreed to pay Yacht Tours US$3.5 million to end the dispute, as at one stage 600 staff had been employed to look after 28 guests.

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Alidhoo Resort sacks 12 staff members following strike over unpaid salaries

The Tourism Employees Association of Maldives (TEAM) has condemned a decision made by Alidhoo Resort to sack 12 staff members following a strike over unpaid salaries held last week.

On Thursday July 21 Maldivian staff working at the resort in Haa Alifu Atoll declared themselves on strike claiming that the management of the resort had not paid them salary for the previous month.

“It is almost the end of this month and Ramadan is coming up – we have to send money to our families back on the islands and we are really broke,” a staff member working in the resort told Minivan News at the time.

He claimed allowances of the staffs working in the resort had not been paid for the last three months, including service charge and overtime. He further claimed that expatriates working on the island had not received their salaries for three months, but feared for their jobs if they joined the strike action.

The management first told staff that the payments were delayed because the chairman of the company was not in the Maldives, he claimed.

“When he came back, they said the banks were not giving money to the resorts – how can we believe them now?” the staff member said.

The resort’s management dismissed 12 employees following the strike.

Alidhoo’s Human Resources Manager Ali Naseer told Minivan News that he did not have any information that a strike was conducted on the island.

“Many staffs have been dismissed over different issues, issues perhaps concerning their performance,” he said.

Vice President of TEAM, Mauroof Zakir, said the worker’s organisation condemned the management’s decision.

“On many occasions in many tourist resorts, staff have been dismissed after they strike for their rights,” Mauroof said.

He said he had information that police arrived on Alidhoo resort at midnight on the day of the strike, and escorted the dismissed members of staff off the island.

“We will hold a meeting very soon following this incident,” Mauroof said.

Alidhoo Resort is operated by the Maldivian company Yachttours, owned by local businessman Abdulla Jabir who is currently running as a candidate for Chairperson of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

Minivan News contacted Jabir for comment but was told “don’t ever call me about this again.”

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Alidhoo resort staff on strike over unpaid wages

Maldivian staff working at Alidhoo Resort in Haa Alifu Atoll have declared themselves on strike claiming that the management of the resort had not paid them salary for last month.

The resort is operated by Yacht Tours, owned by local businessman and former MP Abdulla Jabir.

“It is almost the end of this month and Ramadan is coming up – we have to send money to our families back on the islands and we are really broke,” said a staff member working in the resort.

He claimed allowances of the staffs working in the resort had not been paid for the last three months, including service charge and overtime.

“Last week we spoke with the management about our salaries and they said we will be paid today, and today they said they will pay us next Monday,” he said. “Now we are not very confident with this management so we have decided to continue this strike until they pay us.”

The management first told staff that the payments were delayed because the chairman of the company was not in the Maldives, he continued.

“When he came back, they said the banks were not giving money to the resorts – how can we believe them now?” the staff member said.

He claimed that expatriates working on the island had not received their salaries for the past three months.

“They want to join us in the strike but they fear that they might be fired and sent back to their countries,” he said, adding that the expats were supporting the strike although they were not physically involved.

Vice President of Tourism Employees Association of Maldives (TEAM) Mauroof Zakir told Minivan News that TEAM was not officially involved in the strike.

“TEAM has decided not to participate in any strike that is conducted without informing TEAM prior to the commencement of the strike,” Mauroof said. “However, we have given Alidhoo staff instructions.”

Mauroof said TEAM made the decision in a recent meeting because “whenever the strike reaches an uncontrollable status, that’s when the staff see TEAM, and when it reaches that situation it is very hard for us to solve the issues.”

Chairman of Yatch Tours Abdulla Jabir told Minivan News that the delay was caused because he was not in town.

“It will be arranged sometime today,” he said. “The payments were delayed because I was not here.”

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