Abuse claims
By BEGENA GEORGE
Published: 26 August 2006
More than 30 job-related and “abuse” cases were yesterday presented to Indian Ambassador Balkrishna Shetty during an Open House session at the embassy in Adliya yesterday.
Most involved employees refusing to allow workers to leave the country and did not give them access to passports and other legal documents. Some also included alleged abuse and claims of fraud.
Among the cases was that of an Indian housemaid who claimed physical abuse by a East Riffa family for whom she has been working for the last two months on a “20-hour shift”.
Abuse claims
By BEGENA GEORGE
Published: 26 August 2006
More than 30 job-related and “abuse” cases were yesterday presented to Indian Ambassador Balkrishna Shetty during an Open House session at the embassy in Adliya yesterday.
Most involved employees refusing to allow workers to leave the country and did not give them access to passports and other legal documents. Some also included alleged abuse and claims of fraud.
Among the cases was that of an Indian housemaid who claimed physical abuse by a East Riffa family for whom she has been working for the last two months on a “20-hour shift”.
She alleged her sponsor rarely fed her anything but a cup of tea everyday.
Abdul Aziz, who has been working as a helper in a bakery at Khamis claimed his Bahraini sponsor refuses to release his passport as he needs to return home to India for the first time in more than seven years.
He also complained that the man, who owns the shop, has not paid him for five months.
A heavy-duty driver for a customs clearing company in Manama, claimed the firm rejected his resignation after he served for more than two years.
Pathalil Madhavan Suresh alleged that he was made to sign a blank piece of paper and was owed him five months salary.
Worker Arogya Swamy who fell in the bathroom breaking all his teeth and needs to return home for immediate treatment also claimed that he could not until his sponsor releases his passport.
P M Biju who came to Bahrain in February last year to work for a carpentry shop in Sanabis but says, although the firm has been out of business for three months, his boss refused to make him a CPR card or release his passport.
An Indian goldsmith has been unable to leave Bahrain until he pays a telephone bill of around BD5,150 that he claims he knows nothing about.
K I Sasi alleged someone had used his name and CPR card number to get a Batelco sim card and he only came to know about it at the immigration department when he tried to go for his vacation.
First secretary A K Bhatnagar, second secretary R Raghunath and representatives from various Indian associations attended the session.
Mr Shetty pledged to seriously look into all the cases and get justice for his nationals’ with the assistance of the Bahrain government.
“We are coming across many cases of rogue sponsors who physically and mentally abuse their workers in all possible ways,” said Mr Shetty.
“A very common practice that is seen among such sponsors is that when they know that their employee have filed a labour case against them, they file a bogus case against the worker.
“These cases will be taken up with the Bahrain government during our weekly meetings with their various departments.
“Many cases where employers demand payment for renewal of legal documents will also be checked.
“During my recent visit to India I was assured more manpower for our diplomatic mission here in Bahrain and thus we’ll be able to serve our citizens much more better.
“Our people need to understand the importance of entering a foreign nation with the proper work documents that would secure their existence there. “Also the minimum age limit for women coming here on a housemaid visa has to be 30 years.”
© Gulf Daily News