Workers for a contractor in Bahrain say they haven't been paid for fourth months
Workers for Handmade Interior and Contracting Services in Bahrain say their employer has not paid them for almost four months and is refusing to release them from their contracts.
An employee of the company contacted Construction Week earlier this week seeking to mount a media campaign against firm to pressure it into paying its 45 workers.
The worker, who ran away from the company several weeks ago, said he is also calling for the firm’s owner, Ahmed Al Haddad, to allow him leave Bahrain and return to his home in the Indian state of Kerala.
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THE WORKER IN ANY COMPANY WORK IN BAHRAIN WITH AGREEMENT FOR WORKER AND EMPLOYER .BAHRAIN LABOUR HAVE GOOD ROLL FOR ALL
He said Al Haddad is currently withholding his passport which has left him in limbo and classified as an illegal worker.
“(My employer) said I will not be paid the wages owed to me because it will go towards the cost of my visa, but he won’t even let me go home,” he told Construction Week under the condition of anonymity.
“I have contacted the embassy and they are trying to help, but I have nowhere to stay and no money to pay for accommodation. I do not know what to do.”
The worker said two other employees were in a similar situation after running away from the company’s labour accommodation. Meanwhile, the story was corroborated by three of the 45 men who remain working for the firm.
“We were paid one month’s salary last month, but we are still owed four months,” one worker said.
“Everyone is finding it very difficult to eat and there is no money to send our families. We are always told we will be paid soon, but it never happens.”
The workers said they had not yet approached authorities about their situation because they were scared of reprisals from Al Haddad who they said recently beat a worker who demanded payment.
When contacted by CW, Al Haddad denied the assault allegation and said he only owed his workers one month salary. He said company records prove the workers have been paid.
He did however admit to illegally withholding his employee’s passports to ensure they fulfilled the terms and conditions of their contracts. He said he would not release the passports of runaway employees until they were legally entitled to leave the country.
CW has referred the case to Bahrain’s Labour Ministry which is meeting with the runaway workers on Tuesday.
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Readers' Comments
KHALIDAS (Oct 14, 2009) BAHRAIN Bahrain
SMIL
THE WORKER IN ANY COMPANY WORK IN BAHRAIN WITH AGREEMENT FOR WORKER AND EMPLOYER .BAHRAIN LABOUR HAVE GOOD ROLL FOR ALL WORKERS .ALL NATIONALITY ARE SAME ROLL .I KNOW ONE COMPANY THERE WORKERS LEFT THE COMPANY IN THE SAME DAY THEY CAME TO BAHRAIN FOR WORK ,BY SAME NATINOLATY HOW MADE THEM RUN AWAY .GIVE THEM WORK WITHOUT INSURANCE AND FACILITY .AFTER MONTHS HE LEAVE THEM WITHOUT PAYING .NOT ALL WORKER LIKE THIS. BUT DONT SAY THAT ALL COMPANY ARE BAD .BAHRAIN THE FIRST COUNTRY IN GULF TO BRING INDIAN WORKER AND THEY LIVE HAPPY IN BARAIN SINCE 1920.THEY HAVE CHILDREN WORKING IN BAHRAIN .SOME AGENT ARE GIVING THE WRONG INFORMATION TO THE WORKER LIKE THE POOR WORKER HOW CAME TO BAHRAIN WITH WRONG INFORMATION BY THE AGENT HOW TOLD HIS FATHER THAT IN BAHRAIN HE WILL GET TREATMENT FROM IDS IN BAHRAIN .THAT WHAT THE AGENT DOING .THE AGENT WAS INDIAN .SOME OF THEM ARE BAD SOME GOOD .AND THERE ARE MANY STORIES ABOUT THAT AND MORE.
Qaseem (Oct 13, 2009) Gudaibiya Bahrain
Unpaid Workers in bahrain
The report on CW about unpaid workers in Bahrain shall definitely encourage more workers to expose such companies. Believe me this is only the tip of the iceberg.
Poor Indian (Oct 13, 2009)
India
Nothing New
You go to any construction sites or any crusher area and see the pitiable condition of workers n staffs ,you will feel like weeping . Workers are been treated like bonded workers/slaves . They live in shabby portcabin in large quantity , eat all rotten things and their salary is paid once in 4-5 mths. Though their signature is taken on payroll ,but salary is not paid regularly. Authorities have turned their nelson eye towards the eye-popping attrocities being perpetrated against human being. It is complete violation of human rights. This is happing for many years now.
rene (Oct 13, 2009)
Bahrain
unpaid workers in Bahrain
The Govt should NOT Allow the salary to be paid in cash. As per the rules all Salaries MUST be paid thru ONLY a BANK as proof !!! Penalise the criminal employer
craig (Oct 12, 2009) Manama Bahrain
Unpaid workers in Bahrain
This pains me, when are the Bahrain authorities going to actually do something about these criminal employers and follow through with the law and punish them for wrong doing to these poor poor workers! It is against human rights and the Muslim faith
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FEATURED COMMENT
THE WORKER IN ANY COMPANY WORK IN BAHRAIN WITH AGREEMENT FOR WORKER AND EMPLOYER .BAHRAIN LABOUR HAVE GOOD ROLL FOR ALL