100 workers left with no food in Qatar
AILYN AGONIA
DOHA THERE appears to be no end to the plight of over 100 workers, 80 Filipinos and over 20 Indians and Nepalis who have been left to fend for themselves by a ready mix company, without work, without salary and without food for the last six months.
And, with the temperatures rising, their life is set to get worse in the coming days, as the labour camp they have been housed in, gets no power for 14 hours daily from 8am to 4pm and from 11pm to 5am.
Languishing at such a labour camp since September last year, when their employer, a ready mix company shut down the company’s operations in Qatar without prior notice, the workers are somehow managing to survive with donations from several Filipino groups and associations.
The Filipino community organisations have been offering these workers help, both cash and kind. The organisations have been supplying them food, bath soap, laundry services and all their basic needs. Meanwhile, their case is reportedly being heard by a court.
“I had worked with this company for almost five years. From early last year, we started experiencing delays in the payment of our salaries. However, our real problems started when the company was shut down all of a sudden in September last year”, one of the labourers Renato Prado told Qatar Tribune.
He added, “For the past three months we have not received our salaries. We have been communicating with people from our administration office in this regard, but they have only been promising to do something about it and not delivering at all.” Prado said that though the case was being heard by the court and seven hearings had already taken place, their fate still hangs in balance.
He said that the Filipino workers have also sought the Philippine Labour Office’s attention in this regard.
“We want this case to reach the Malacanang Palace (the Philippines’ seat of government) and for the authorities here to help us get our salaries or facilitate our return home or allow us to work in other companies here,” said Prado, a father of four.
Commenting on this case, Philippine Ambassador to Qatar HE Crescente Relacion said officials of the Philippine Overseas Labour Office (POLO) and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) have already visited the camp and have extended assistance to the workers. He said a meeting will be taking place between Filipino officials and members of the new management, which bought the company from the former owners, soon.
The envoy also confirmed that “details of the case have already reached the Philippine government.” “Some of the workers will be retrenched, others will be given NOC (non-objection certificate) while the rest will be allowed to continue working for the company. We will be closely monitoring this case,” the envoy said.
The members of the Filipino community learnt about the plight of Prado and his fellow workers through a concerned Filipino who appealed to them via social media.
He now serves as the main source of help of the workers and coordinates whatever assistance people from the community can offer for their compatriots.
source:Qatar Tribune
http://www.qatar-tribune.com/data/20130306/content.asp?section=nation5_1
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What to do then..Brit??
I think they already know such cases exist and are probably familar with the culprits
Let us hope their plight is being brought to the attention of some good minded Qatar Authority who is ashamed of such incidents in their country!
I think tickets to Manila cost a bit more than $200. But nice try.
errr...$200 is not enough for a ticket.
Whatever but as in the picture our kabayan look well fed even if they have been without a job all this time. My only question is if the authorities have strict punishment and penalties for runaway workers then should they also not have the same strict punishment for runaway sponsors leaving their employees to beg and to live on charity
So the $200 should be enough to pay for their repatriation and the monies due ?
I work in HR,
as a solution for those people problem! I believe that those labours are fed up with their current situation, and believe that they would accept to leave to their homes without getting paid.
the Philippines embassy had made a precaution in such cases, they take insurance money for "$200" from the sponsors in case any problem happens to their citizens to send them back home.
why dont they suggest that they send those people back to their home country using this money they collected from the sponsor upon recruitment?
isnt that what the money is for?
this is my suggestion, dont get me wrong, I do not support the sponsor or the sponsorship rule however, those people need a resolution for their ordeal.
regards,
and to imagine this is happening in a country that was actually giving aid to the americans to recover from the hurricance in new orleans. If only they could do the same charitable work closer to home where this poor guys are living a hard life
hehehehe
It is really sad. 6 months is a long time to live in such uncertainty.
Funny that when you look up 'sponsor' in the dictionary it says:
A person or organization that provides funds or support for a project or activity carried out by another, in particular.
Yes Qatar has of course trillions of dollars but not one dollar goes from here to there without proper documentation. Say I am a labour and I dont get paid...my Rp is not renewed and I was not given ticket.. I go and complain to CID.. CID firsts put me jail cuz i dont have valid RP. He listens to the whole story..He tries to contact my sponsor...My sponsor is escaped and not answering my call. Then he tries to move it through embassy. Embassy asks labour to get money from home which he could not as only he is taking care of few left back home..
Labour->Police
->Embassy -> Labour
There is only one chance they can go is through charity organizations or under Emir special decision (which is certainly not possible every now and then).
Your RP is expired last year and u have to pay a penalty which is more than your salary...
In UAE all the illegal or overstayed labours have a chance on National Day that they will go out without fines if they have tickets..
You know how mental services work in UK right? As soon the program is finished the patient will be out of hospital..it doest matter he has home to live or not.. Just an example...
But don't worry, the multi-billion dollar airport will open soon, shiny and gleaming in the sun. A testament to how everything in Qatar is okay.
OK..
I think a hundred million will suffice.
TheSurprised: If the government wants to write off the debts of the owners, then that is their perrogative. the main thing is that the workers are compensated and reptriated.
Qatar has trillions of dollars.
All they have to do is set up a government entity which in the first instance , looks into the case. Pays off the labourers and repatriates them from its own funds and then takes legal action to get the monies back from the companies.
It's not rocket science and would not make any dent in the exchequer's coffers.
Thelonious is so right: -- Is that how Qatar becomes rich, by not paying what they ought to?
As a volunteer from Human Trafficking we went also visited a similar camp where 120 (Indians Sri Lankan and Nepali) labours were having the same situations. Most of them had their IDs expired in 2011. Still a face of the labour in my mind who was sick with some disease and cant go to hospital cuz his he has no medical insurance and has no ID. Their employers neither show up nor respond to their calls.
Last we managed to send at 25 to their countries.
Nope Brit as population is huge, for authorities and embassies these issues are something like daily news reading.. Some of the went to embassies and authorities asked them to bring ticket at least.. How can they bring ticket if they dont get paid for 8 months? Few were asked to get money from their family back home...
Even after the company responsible has closed down, the press is too gutless to name and shame them in the newspaper.
Who are they protecting?
I am at a loss to understand why the Filipino authorities are taking the initiative. Surely, the labour office or a local government organisation needs to step in, get the monies for the workers and send them home. I would also like them to prosecute the owners / management , but perhaps that's asking too much.
This place is the waiting room of inferno
Who is responsible for this plight? The labourers or the owners?