GDN:’Secret hearing’ for abuse cases

By BEGENA GEORGE
Published: 7th October 2006

LABOUR abuse cases reported to the Indian Embassy at its open house will from now on be heard behind closed doors, it was revealed yesterday.

The case of unpaid wages and settlement dues of more than 1,000 Indian workers of a clothing factory came up for discussion at a ‘confidential meeting’ at the embassy in Adliya.

The Light Style Garment Factory workers are still waiting for their dues to be paid.

Ambassador Balkrishna Shetty told the GDN that unlike yesterday, besides embassy officials and complainants, members of the media will also be allowed to witness the proceedings.

By BEGENA GEORGE
Published: 7th October 2006

LABOUR abuse cases reported to the Indian Embassy at its open house will from now on be heard behind closed doors, it was revealed yesterday.

The case of unpaid wages and settlement dues of more than 1,000 Indian workers of a clothing factory came up for discussion at a ‘confidential meeting’ at the embassy in Adliya.

The Light Style Garment Factory workers are still waiting for their dues to be paid.

Ambassador Balkrishna Shetty told the GDN that unlike yesterday, besides embassy officials and complainants, members of the media will also be allowed to witness the proceedings.

“The new practise will publicise the way in which workers are being harassed by their sponsors,” he explained.

Around 20 cases were presented at yesterday’s open house – far fewer than the number presented in the past couple of months.

“This time the open house was conducted one week after the scheduled date and though we had advertised this, it may not have reached all the people,” said Mr Shetty.

Another case, which was presented to the open house was of a worker, who complained that his sponsor has refused to hand over his passport.

C Pramod said that his sponsor refuses to give his passport until he pays him BD500, which he said is illegal.

Highlighting his woes, Abdul Basheer Mareyam said that even after winning a labour case against his sponsor in 2004 for unpaid salaries and an air ticket to India, he is yet to receive his dues.

Another man, who is being treated at Salmaniya Medical Complex for failure of his two kidneys is stranded because his sponsor refuses to co-operate.

Fifty-one-year-old Neroth Chathu’s sponsor is not giving him a release letter, so that he can go home for further treatment.

Meanwhile, the relatives of S V Haneefa alleged that his colleagues persuaded their employer and got him arrested.

“He was wrongly charged with cheating the employer out of BD6,000,” they said.

Mr Shetty said that the Light Style Garment Factory workers will have to wait until a verdict is passed in the court for their rightful claims and that it was just a matter of time before things are settled.

But their doubt if a case has actually been filed or not, and matters regarding the fund collected for them by the Indian Community Relief Fund will be cleared tomorrow.

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