Deduction from previous months salary and salary not paid since Jan 2011- pls pls help
I joined this Company in Lebanon in November 2009 but I was asked to join in Qatar to enable quick process of Lebanon VISA. The owner of the company in Lebanon in Qatari and he has business in Qatar. The plan was to start an Academy in Lebanon. They said I will be able to travel to Lebanon from Qatar without VISA and hence a Qatari Contract was made here in Qatar in November 2009 for a salary of 10,000 QAR. I questioned them saying my salary is 17,500 QAR for which they said this is just a contract to secure your visa in Qatar to enable me to travel to Lebanon for work till I get my Lebanon VISA.
I went to Lebanon on and off from November 2009 to May 2010 doing work in Lebanon and Qatar after which the owner decided to stop the Lebanon Business and asked me join and work with him in Qatar. I agreed and was working with him. I got my salary of 17,500 till December 2010. After that they never paid me and in April 2011 they issued a memo to me saying my Qatar contract would be applicable from May 2011. I resigned immediately and asked for me pending salaries and settlement.
The Company is saying that they will pay me according to Qatar contract from January 2011 which is 10,000 QAR and since it is the legal contract I also agreed so that I could go back and find a job else where. Now they are saying they will deduct 7,500 for each month from July 2010 since I joined full time in Qatar with them since July 2010 and they were paying me 17,500 and so they want to deduct 7,500 QAR for each month they paid me from July 2010 to December 2010 which means deduction of 45,000 QAR from salaries paid before. My Salary from January to May 2011 which has not been paid so far is totaling to 50,000 QAR even if they go by QATAR contract. But they will deduct 45,000 QAR from previous paid salaries for 6 months from 50,000 salaries for the 5 months of January 2011 to May 2011. Thereby I would get 5,000 QAR.
This is not fair since I have a family and i have my commitments also which I was hoping to resolve with my previous salaries.
Please advice if they can deduct from my previous paid salaries and what is the best way to get my rights. My last date at work should be 31st may 2011 and I request any kind of advice to my complete rights. Please note that I have not taken any loans or any such things from the company but the Qatari Contract does say my Basic salary is 10,000 QAR.
I even agreed to take my settlement at 10,000 QAR. But now they are saying that they will deduct 7,500 for each month since July 2010 to Dec 2010 and this amount will be deducted from my final settlement. MY Salary is paid in cash and all the cash vouchers state only salary and never anything as salary advance. I have a copy of my salary voucher for Dec 2010 to prove that as well. Kindly advice if they can deduct from my old paid salaries on this pretext and also advice how can I get legal advice. thank you very much.