Fear of posting comments on this blog became very present in Emirates Airline. This is what I have heard. People are afraid that their e-mails and phones are tracked down. There is even a story that couple of employees are fired for posting a comment or a story here, or to be precise: for “publishing articles against UAE”.
While I find this story funny, I admit that there is a possibility that staff is bullied for posting here, since MAS Samir Al Tamer told me on one of our meetings that “staff is fired for posting something about the company on Twitter” and one staff complained to me that they got a final warning for posting something involving Emirates on their (locked for public) Facebook wall. I was constantly warned that I am “monitored” by my managers, so these kinds of threats are nothing new in EK.
Some of these fear stories are probably spread on purposely, to prevent many people from posting here; but I am pretty sure that most of these stories are invented by some staffs themselves because this is how fear works: you know that your fear strategy is successful when people start to scare themselves with the stories they invent without anyone’s help. So, EK has an outstanding fear strategy.
Let me repeat: I find it unfair and false to accuse me or anyone else of writing “against UAE or His Highness Sheikh Ahmed” on this blog. Only malicious people can mix a serious critique of a company’s management with a critique of a country. I have even expressed my respect for His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, UAE and its people many times. So, there can be no words of doing anything against the UAE.
Thousands of people read this blog on a daily basis and I know that blog is popular, but since its initial post which had 271 comments, not many people are commenting now. I can understand why. But it seems that my invitation raised some dust inside the company.
This is the deal: nobody can change your lives instead of you. Nobody can expect to seat passively and to wait someone else to change things for them. I have provided the space for your voice to be heard, where I don’t publish rumours, just received e-mails and testimonies. If you are afraid of being tracked down there are many ways you can hide you IP address and be anonymous on the Internet (google it). And if you are afraid to send an e-mail or a comment from UAE, send it from another country. Many of you travel often. And if you are just afraid and don’t want to do anything – don’t. But remember, fear is the worst disease of the human race. It stops every evolution of mind and spirit; then again – it is totally irrational and it doesn’t present a real threat. I was ready to lose my job so that nobody else has to.
EK managers will eventually understand that rule of fear is impossible in today’s world, because it can easily fall apart with just one person who doesn’t feel scared. And if they really want to change something and to continue like a modern, powerful and civilized company, they will encourage their staff to speak freely and appreciate creative thinkers and bravery. If they want to be in the middle ages, where they are heading now, they will maintain the rule of fear until the next person’s blog.
And I am not convinced that anything will change until some civilized moves, like apologies, are made.
If you are fired for posting on this blog, please let me know on dragana.blog.ek(at)gmail.com.
Do Not Fly Emirates 
November 17th, 2014 at 04:40
I’ve followed this blog from almost the beginning, I admire you greatly for what you are doing and firmly believe this is the only way things MIGHT change, I already resigned -following their usual advice “if you don’t like it, leave”- so I’m not really scared to raise my voice, but I do need to criticize your bland attitude about ” his highness, UAE, and it’s people”, because automatically you are disregarding the fact that the root of the problems in EK lays precisely in them; you complain about unprepared, inept locals as managers? That’s an imposed quota of the welfare
System of the UAE, you complain about labour rights not respected? Is NATIONAL law the prohibition for unions and strike, you mention immigration bullying and unfair imprisonment against freedom of speech? Is not EK who jails people,
IS THE GOVERNMENT, and I’m Sorry if I poke a few buttons, but is widespread known that if any of this Countries (yes, I Mean ARAB countries) was running on locals alone, everything would fall apart, and that’s fine, if people decide not to prepare, not To study, not to improve -oil royalties, trust funds,whatever the reason- that’s their right, but If they bring you to keep things running because you spent 7 years studying, are a hard worked and have all the good will to do a good -sometimes great- job is plain disrespectful that they want to pay you half (my basic salary was exactly half of my local colleague in the same position, not
10% less , 50% LESS!, and he barely finished high school) make you work double, and if you raise your voice shut you down, imprison you, bully you, punish you, and tell you “you need to be grateful for being here” and “if you don’t like it, leave”.
So, you might have to behave “politically correct” for any reason, I don’t, and the problem is not EK, is a whole country with a system created to explode people in a modern form
Of slavery, without freedom of speech or defense, it’s “his highness, the UAE, and their people”, not all off course, but the vast majority that counts.
I stand with you among the people who refuses
To waste time and resources in this kind of environment with this kind of “rewards” and
If their threat to us is “there is always somebody ready to take your position” then be my guest, please keep any servant, unprepared, unwilling, people,
If enough of us -prepared, progressives, modern, free- people leave, the system will collapse on
It’s own and MAYBE things MIGHT CHANGE.
Thank you for your bravery and your fight, stay focused and look
At the bigger picture.
My best wishes in whatever life has prepared for you.
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November 17th, 2014 at 08:54
Dear Kiroshi,
Thank you for your wishes (wish you the same) and for the comment.
I actually agree with you, but this is the thing: this blog is not here to criticize the country or its laws, but the management inside one company. And while managers mix and confuse the country and its government (religion as well) with a company, I separate it on purposely in order to make a clear distinction between things that have to be separated, for the sake of human and labour rights.
I wrote about the fact that concept of a one man-ruler, who is beyond critiques and opposition is, by my opinion, a wrong way for changes. I already wrote about the fact that Emirates is working illegally, not being a subject of a federal labour law. But I am not here to change (and who am I to do that?) anyone’s society and habits. People do that to each other throughout the whole history – trying to impose rules and to control. People have to figure out by themselves whether they feel good in a status quo or they have to change it to feel better and to correct injustices. And while you can (and it’s desirable to) write a critique of a society in a comment, that critique is not the official article policy here. But its is certainly worth of reading about it in the comments, because expressing different opinions and FREEDOM of speech is a goal here (something that’s forbidden inside EK).
If local managers think that it is good for the image of their country that there are stories about firing people for writing “things against UAE” or threats with prison to the author of this blog – let them. It’s their decision. I am sure that they’ve got many critiques on behalf of their laws and practices so far (as any other country in the world, there is no perfect country) by some relevant international institutions and organizations. It is a question who is influencing negatively on who – EK managers on the UAE or vice versa. And lets not forget that EK management is multicultural, and those who keep quiet on injustices just to keep their jobs in a foreign country are equally responsible as official policy makers, because keeping quiet makes them parasites who feed themselves on other people’s misery. If you are not responsible or brave enough to do your job right, don’t do it in difficult circumstances, go to another country. But it is very wrong to stay in UAE, to suck its oil money and not to give anything in return.
I hope that, eventually, UAE policy makers will understand that critiques which people express here and there are more valuable than oil. In long terms. Oil is expendable, but smart and sustainable ways of doing things are not. Oil is not more valuable than people and this new world where people, animals and whole living universe, actually, lost their fundamental value for a piece of green paper is terrifying and absurd. And people who are inside the system will never change it if they live good and selfish lives (although that life is not sustainable and it has devastating effect on its surroundings). So, opposition is the key of the equilibrium which saves companies, people and world. But this is a subtext, a consequence of this blog. You have to peal the apple to come to its core.
Yes, whenever there are some suggestions for change, the usual managerial response is “This is Dubai, you can’t do that”. It means that expatriates stopped bothering about bringing any changes (or they have no energy and bravery to be persistent enough) and locals are, unfortunately, proud on that response. They feel like everything is under control as long as they keep every expatriate ready to be kicked out of the country. I wrote about residency policy in UAE as well – you can’t expect people to build a culture of mutual respect and appreciation in a country where you can never be a true citizen. People leave their love in the places they feel loved. Same goes for the hate.
There is also a relationship between UAE and UK which influences UAE politics (especially its oil-related policies), but I am not here to talk about it either, although I personally think that all of the described things are the core problem here.
As I told before: people have to have a FREEDOM to decide by themselves what is good for them and what is not, otherwise our human/labour rights story on this blog would have no sense as we would be just another group of people who want things to be done on their way and to control others.
Thanks again for a valuable comment and reading. All the best!
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November 18th, 2014 at 08:22
Thanks for debating,
So, we painfully realise that the problems are tangled together, my conclusion is that, sadly as it sounds, theres little or nothing we, lower grade employees, or former employees, can do for the company, but I´m convinced that what we can definitely do is let so many people who arrive, tricked, in a way or another, what is the actual reality of working for Emirates Airlines, I was having a discussion with some Argentinian colleagues, they were telling me that ” with the current situation of Argentina, even knowing, people would keep coming” and I replied, Ok, thats a whole other thing, but we will do the deed of LET THEM KNOW, what Americans call INFORMED CONSENT, once you know, for sure, every detail, every reality and anyway you make that choice, then you don´t have anyone else to blame, but me, as yourself, and as many others that I know, were not informed about many details that make this life a very difficult one, has anyone talked this recruits about the cockroach infestation in Alquoz accomodation? or the fact that is located in the middle of the ugliest industrial zone in the city? about the Racial and religious discrimination ? (YES, MUSLIMS HAVE EXTRA 50 MINUTES A DAY OFF, SINCE THEY HAVE TO “PRAY” BUT THEY DO GREAT SMOKING AND TALKING AND ENJOYING THEMSELVES ON THAT TIME, and yes, they do will Earn a Base salary higher than Yours, and yes they will Do work effectively Less than you).
I think this is the only good, the only change we can actually pursue,
letting people who is coming know how things really are, Good AND bad, not everything is terrible, but depending on your personal circumstances It can be an excruciating way of living.
So lets do that,
take care.
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November 18th, 2014 at 08:31
Completely agreed. Let’s do that.:)
Many people from less fortunate countries don’t understand that it is maybe better for them to stay in their countries and struggle, but be free of molestation and inhumane treatment than come to work in EK for a salary which is enough for barely two weeks of surviving in Dubai, be treated like shit and doing a lots of exhausting overtime just to travel somewhere and use the time spent in Dubai at least for something nice.
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November 21st, 2014 at 16:39
If they even suspect someone for writing on this blog, they will purposely make a situation where the suspected person can be proven to have done a fraud or incorrect work or whatever else is required to fire a staff on legal grounds. Dozens of the other corrupt managers and team leaders (grade 8 in Finance) will testify about the persons wrong doings. They will eventually fire the person on those grounds.
Some managers are so powerful they can even ensure that the person is put behind bars by framing them in some way or another. As expats we simply do not have a voice with the legal system here.
I’m sure the victims who were framed or harassed will understand where I am coming from. Framing somone or for that matter harassing someone is very easy on this company.
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November 21st, 2014 at 17:16
Yes, but this time we will make sure to expose those imputations to public. I advise people to collect all evidence of their and managers’ doings, including recordings of meetings and conversations with managers.
If EK managers want their company to be known as the one which frames and imprisons “disobedient” or for any reason “unfit” employees, I say – let them.
I wonder what would have happened if I went to media. This blog is popular enough now, media would blow it in global proportions.
I have called all people who suspect they are fired for posting here (although I think it hasn’t happened so far, I have friends still working in Emirates, sharing my posts on Facebook and Twitter every time I post something and nobody fired them) and if somebody contact me, I will go to media fully determined.
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