Ethiopian workers seek end to inhuman treatment by their firm

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A number of Ethiopian laborers gathered in front of the Labor Department affiliated to Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor for the second time in less than one week to ask for humanitarian and official intervention to end inhumane treatment and blackmail by the cleaning company that employs them. The laborers said the company has threatened to deport them if they continue to complain, despite the company is holding back their salaries.

They also said the company makes unnecessary deductions from their salaries monthly upon illogical reasons, while they are forced to live inside accommodations that lack humanitarian supplies, similar to shelters without humane and sanitary facilities. In light of bitter situation wherein over 1,800 Ethiopian laborers have fallen victims to cleaning company that benefits from government contracts, although it has not been listed in the bourse, an official from the Ethiopian embassy attended the gathering and said, “We receive only promises whenever we come here. We need decisive solution to the problem since over 1,800 laborers are suffering.”

Meanwhile, the issue corroborates doubts which the State Audit Bureau expressed in its report over what it described as clear manipulations related to irregularities detected in the assessment of some companies and their manpower needs. The laborers further indicated the company has refused to renew their residences on the pretext that it must finish the contract with government first, although the same company has signed a new contract with the government for three years.

To make matters worse, the company also refuses to allow them to transfer their residences to other sponsors. In a related development, government team affiliated to Construction Projects recommends that the companies must be allowed to bring in expatriate laborers without any restrictions provided that the companies will take the responsibility to repatriate them when the tasks are completed, besides providing for the laborers basic expenditure and health care.

arabtimesonline.com

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 8: