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MIKEBUCHAN · Joined: 18 Mar 2007 Posts: 106 Location: Russia

Thinking about working for GSSG sponsor company in Qatar after talking to Griffith University? I have a few words for you --- DON�T DO IT AT ALL! Qatar is a nice country and the people are great.

I worked there from the end of September 2006 to March 2007 and found nothing but broken promises and outright lies. I might say that I have taught in Saudi Arabia, Colombia, Russia and the United States and I have never been treated in such a shabby, rude, shameful and disrespectful manner anywhere! Teachers are expendable � just a throw away commodity. While the office staff (read that overhead and a drain on profits) are the only staff that matter. Remember this, the sponsor company and the Australian university collect 4 times the money that you are paid � monthly.

For the entire six months I never got a Residence Permit (RP), never seen my passport, was promised a family visa for my wife that never came (I got one tourist visa for her and had it extended), was told that I had to pay a 600 Riyal bribe to get my RP, did not get paid on time, waited usually a month and more for my gasoline repayment after submitting the request forms and receipts and going to the office 3 or 4 times, never seen a contract, and never seen an orientation program or training book.

I hear that other sponsor companies are almost as bad. One woman that I know had been there for over two years wanted to apply for a loan and found that GSSG was black-balled and if you worked there you would never be approved for any kind of loan. Another woman, that I directly worked with and watched the process, wanted a credit card and she was required to get a salary certificate and open a checking account (this is at the bank that accepts our salary and issues an ATM card) and keep a balance of 20,000 Riyals.

My arrival at the airport wasn�t met � two hours later the driver came. They gave no contact numbers to call before I arrived. The first day I was taken to the teaching site, Ras Abu Aboot, and dumped. No one had made any arrangements to get me back to the apartment building AND no address or telephone numbers were provided. I know that I should have asked for these things, but you expect much better treatment. By 11 that night, I finally made it back to the apartment almost to the point of exhaustion

If anything broke in the apartment, it was weeks before anyone even checked on it and then a few weeks more before anything was done. The living room lights were out for 5 weeks, the kitchen sink leaked on the floor and would not drain (two separate problems) for 7 weeks and I could go on and on.

Nothing is provided in the apartment. No toilet brush, broom, mop, nothing. I had to spend over 700 Riyals on household things that I could and would not take with me when I left. No reimbursement either!

If you would like more details contact me ---- [email protected]

Sheikh Inal Ovar · Joined: 04 Dec 2005 Posts: 1208 Location: Melo Drama School

MIKEBUCHAN · Joined: 18 Mar 2007 Posts: 106 Location: Russia

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

MIKEBUCHAN · Joined: 18 Mar 2007 Posts: 106 Location: Russia

I worked in Mesaeed - called the bakery, down near the refinery about 40 kilometers south of RAA. And RAA was called the gulag.

Griffith is the advertiser/recruiter for GSSG and this is the sponsor company with QP. I found neither very truthful about anything.

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

MIKEBUCHAN · Joined: 18 Mar 2007 Posts: 106 Location: Russia

You were there for 18 months? How in the world did you stand it? There were only about three or four native English speakers there when I was there - and almost all the classrooms were full. Between the Sudanese mafia and the second class Indians that were always at odds with each other and that run the QP education process - how did you survive?

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

007 · Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2007 7:10 pm Post subject:

MIKEBUCHAN · Joined: 18 Mar 2007 Posts: 106 Location: Russia

007 -
DMB may have been or still be friends with all the gansters there- I don't care anymore. And that seems to me to be his problem, if it is true -- either way (meaning your statement or his non-statement about friendship with those people)
I will not work in the Middle East anymore. In the mid '90's it was not the best place to teach and now it is NOT the place to teach!
Where I live now - I can live very comfortably and not have to deal with anyone in education anymore, if I choose to.

letitslidedude · Joined: 07 Mar 2007 Posts: 81 Location: KOREA

Really sorry man!

YOU SHOULD HAVE READ MY POSTINGS LAST YEAR ABOUT THIS STINKY PLACE BEFORE TAKING THIS JOB!

By the way, this company hires for QP and they contracted Griffith to hire teachers.

There are 2 mafias at QP and they compete each other. The Sudanese on one hand and the Syrian on the other. All managers at this place are unqualified and should be fired and replaced by a new team.

The only other thing I can say is NEVER & EVER think about teaching at QP UNLESS they fire these 2 gangs (all of them).

Take care!

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

biffinbridge · Joined: 05 May 2003 Posts: 701 Location: Frank's Wild Years

I managed nearly 3 years there.Now need a frontal lobotomy.

guty · Joined: 10 Apr 2003 Posts: 365 Location: on holiday

Biff, I'm sure you had one while you were there.
DMB, happy hour at the Marriott, hmmmm.

graftonstreetgulf · Joined: 15 Nov 2006 Posts: 25 Location: South America

Even the 30QR tag for Guinness/Kilkenny was not an issue and more than compensated for the Gulag.

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