Contract issues come to fore yet again in rescue ops

The unregulated way health workers are recruited to most countries has long remained an issue the government has to grapple with during evacuation of nationals from conflict-zones abroad.

The unregulated way health workers are recruited to most countries has long remained an issue the government has to grapple with during evacuation of nationals from conflict-zones abroad.

The-first-batch-of-Kerala-nurses-among-168-Indians-evacuated-from-Yemen-by-Air-Force-C-17-Globemaster-aircraft-arrive-at-Kochi-International-Airport-PTI-Photo

Employment-contract related issues are now coming in the way of ensuring exit of nationals from Yemen, making officials to spend considerable time in sorting them out.

The problem is a Yemen-government requirement of getting a non-objection certificate (NOC) from the employer before employees are allowed to leave the country.

In most cases NOCs are hard to come by. Some of the nurses have complained that it is with great difficulty that they managed to get their passports back and asking for an NOC would be impossible.

Contractual obligation forces them to pay the company if they break the tenure mentioned in the contract. This, when some of these employees have not been paid their salaries for months.

“We are aware of such issues and are working to resolve them. It is our expectation that solutions for all Indian nationals desiring to return will be worked out”, a senior government official told HT.