The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Some 6,000 Bangladeshi workers in Kuwait resorted afresh to protests over non-payment and unlawful deductions of their salaries although the Kuwaiti government recently set a minimum monthly wage of KD 40 for labourers to be paid without any curtail.

The Arab Times, a Kuwaiti English-language daily, reported yesterday quoting a Bangladeshi embassy official that thousands of workers of two cleaning companies went on strike over non-payment and unlawful deductions of their salaries.

Some workers of the two companies told the newspaper that some 6,000 workers are on strike since Sunday.

But the daily said the embassy contradicted that figure.

"We have asked the officials of the two companies to provide us the exact number of Bangladeshi workers employed by them," Arab Times quoted the unnamed Bangladeshi official as saying.

The official added that the embassy is making all-out efforts to resolve the workers' grievances and that he was hopeful that the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour would take strict action against the two erring companies, the report said.

A striking cleaner, who identified himself as Abdul Hameed, told the Arab Times that his company has not paid its workers salary for over two months and that the company was also using pressure tactics to make them pay the insurance and residency fees.

"We tried all possible ways to resolve our problems with the company in an amicable manner but to no avail. Some supervisors are harassing workers who refuse to pay the medical and residency fees. They are being shuffled from one department to another and this has been going on for sometime now."

He also added that the company is showing no interest for paying heed to their complaints about the abominable living conditions at the camp, even as he said that some air conditioning units had broken down with the company showing little concern in having them fixed.

Another worker of the company, H. Rehman said that the embassy has been slow on acting on their complaints and added that the workers will not call off the strike unless all their demands are met.

He said that the embassy was still getting complaints from workers who alleged that their companies were unlawfully deducting their salaries.

Talking to UNB Abdul Matin Chowdhury, secretary to Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, said some Kuwaiti companies are reportedly not following the Kuwaiti government-fixed salary structure. "So far I know the Kuwaiti government closed down five companies for violating the new labour law. The workers have been asked to inform the Bangladeshi Embassy in Kuwait about all complaints following which the Kuwaiti government is taking action against the Kuwaiti companies," he said.

Chowdhury expressed hope that the upcoming visit of Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekher Ahmed Chowdhury to Kuwait would be a successful one regarding solving the problems of the Bangladeshi workers there.

He said Bangladesh government will continue its hectic efforts to ensure welfare of all Bangladeshi workers in Kuwait and elsewhere of the world.