BANGLADESHI EMBASSY IN KUWAIT UPDATES G/TIP ON

UNCLAS KUWAIT 003464

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

FOR G/TIP, NEA/ARPI

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV KCRM ELAB KU HURI PDEM
SUBJECT: BANGLADESHI EMBASSY IN KUWAIT UPDATES G/TIP ON
LABOR CONDITIONS

REF: A. KUWAIT 3412

B. KUWAIT 1729

C. KUWAIT 1732


1. (SBU) For source country insight into the plight of
foreign laborers in Kuwait, visiting G/TIP delegation,
Ambassador John Miller and Reports Officer Feleke Assefa (ref
A),met July 27 with Bangladeshi Embassy Labor and Welfare
Attache Shahriar Kader Siddiky who reported that 250,000
Bangladeshis work in Kuwait, primarily as cleaners, oil
company support staff and agricultural workers. He said that
he visits workers at their company-provided accommodations,
which he described as "okay in general" but sometimes cram
8-10 people into one room. Siddiky mentioned that Bangladesh
now prohibits its female citizens from working as maids
abroad because of low pay and high incidence of abuse,
although those employed before the ban may continue. He
confirmed that there are no Bangladeshi camel jockeys in
Kuwait.


2. (SBU) Siddiky said Bangladeshi nationals are subject to
exploitation, reporting that he receives six or seven
labor-related calls per day; most complain of late salary
payment. In his two months in Kuwait, however, Siddiky has
only received one report of physical abuse. Siddiky reported
that the embassy operates, and fully funds, a shelter in a
separate facility providing food and accommodation to maids
in need. Bangladesh advocates increasing workers' wages or
including room and board in the laborers' compensation
package, he added. According to Siddiky, the embassy supports
the establishment of a 50KD ($171) minimum monthly salary as
opposed to the GOK-backed 40KD ($137).


3. (SBU) The Attache updated the delegation on the fate of
workers who attacked their embassy in April protesting lack
of salary payment (refs B,C). He reported that the group
complained that Nibras Cleaning Service would either pay
their staff for a lesser amount of hours than actually worked
or withhold payment altogether. The GOK obligated the company
to pay all back-wages. As a result of the public protests,
according to Siddiky, the GOK canceled its contract with
Nibras on June 30 resulting in 1,138 Bangladeshis losing
their jobs. The embassy is attempting to transfer the workers
to a new company, but, according to Siddiky, Kuwaiti law
requires private sector employees to wait five years before
switching sponsors. Government-sponsored workers, however,
can transfer after one year. Until a solution is reached, the
embassy is providing the unemployed workers with food.


4. (U) G/TIP has not cleared this message.

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LEBARON