Somaliland: The Injustice & Labour Violation Rights I Been Subject To As An Employee By Safe Way Travel & Logistics

[Deeq A.]

I want to share as a labour citizen of Somaliland that Labours right are not really applied in our country and I to inform the New Minister of Justice who is young and represents the Youth of Somaliland in general, and as part Of Somaliland Youth citizen’s I believe that he will change a lot and will be the shoulder that Somalilanders will lean on so that we get our rightful rights. I started working with Acacia Enterprises who was in charge of delivering Interpret consultant to Adam Smith International in 13 June 2015 and who gave me a contract that ended on the 27th January 2016. I started working with Safe Way Travel agency & Logistic who contacted me in April 2016 for a a couple of days Judiciary training Translation in Ambassador & I fully started with Safe Way Travel Agency & logistics on regular bases from 26 of September 2016 till 07 January 2018 in which I received my payment.

 

On my first pay check payments Adam Yussuf Suleiman who is in charge of Safe-way called me to fetch my check at Dahabshiil mall building in which they have an office, when I joined him there instead of giving me the check he said wait I want talk to you give me a minute because he was with some and after he was done I asked if he was going to pay me in cash but he said that he was giving me a check and that he had it in his pocked. We walked into Dahabshiil Bank and he started saying that there were other consultants working previously with Safe-way and that he Was The one making sure that I always get the priority to be called for duty, by finally saying that I just give him a cut from my work payments. I got very angry and said give me my check and he handed it to me saying he was gonna call me! As soon as I went out Of The bank after withdrawing the money I downloaded a call recorder app as proof so that I could report it to law enforcement but unfortunately he didn’t and I didn’t stop there I informed one Of The senior stuff that Adam Yussuf Suleiman asked me to give him a cut from my hardworking earnings because he Was The one making sure that I get assigned to when ever a consultant interpret is needed.

 

I have asked many times that they should give me a contract but they always gave me excuses saying they were busy and I finally said to Adam Yusauf Suleiman that I needed a contract this year on January the third in person but as Safe-way travel agency & logistics is known after I had done some investigations it seems that Safe-way doesn’t give any contracts to it’s personels at all.

 

I wouldn’t be writing about this if I could get justice because in Somaliland all workers get extorted due to the lack of job opportunities and employees had been entrapped in this vicious circle of extortion for a longtime and it doesn’t stand here even in all applied international non-governmental organisations recruitments are subject to it as as well even drivers and rented cars of any INGO’s gets extorted and has to give a cut of their payments to the logistics person in charge.

 

I know my rights and am a man with strong convictions who can speak for himself but not all employees are like me because they bend their heads to keep their jobs no matter how their rights are violated in their line of work that’s why am whistle blowing because enough is enough and this is a national issue that has to be breaken and that every body has to report it to this new government that looks highly promising by putting all their trusts in so that we all get Justice.

 

And am here to inform the foreign common wealth office in Hargeisa that they should look at the backgrounds of any company they using as a logistics that the consultant interprets got contracts with their personel before offering them any contracts and specially to Axiom International.

 

Safe-Way Travel Agency & Logistics get rid of me indirectly with out notice just because I asked for a contract and that I also had a professional great attitude with all Axiom International Consultants that I had to work with.

 

As labor creates the wealth of the country, we demand the passage of such laws as may be necessary to protect it in all its rights.”

— John Peter Altgeld

By: ADEN ABDI DAHER