Not looking good if you have employer problems.
It looks like the hoped for humane treatment of South & SE Asian workers has taken a step backwards.
From todays Penninsula:
"A labour inspector from Bahrain urged the embassies of major manpower exporting countries in the Gulf region to play a vital role in educating their workers coming to the Gulf on the negative impacts of running away from their sponsors.
The foreign ministries of these countries should emphasise and execute the role of the embassies in educating the workers about the negative impacts of violating the laws before they come here,” according to Khalifa Ahmed Ali, labour inspection supervisor from Bahrain.
Coordination with the interior ministry to conduct more raids on the runaway workers and deport them after investigation will help in fighting the problem, according to Ali.
There is also a call to encourage nationals to join different fields of work as alternative to the foreign workers."
It appears to me that this is implying that the expat workers embassies should get their own house in order. Isn't this looking at the problem the wrong way round?
I always assumed that workers escaped(ran away) due to non-complience of the contract by the employer. Seems to me they now want to vilify the victim.
His call for nationals to occupy these jobs is absurd, we all know that these escapees are employed in construction or domestic service!
What do you all think? Is this one mans voice blowing against the tide or does it reinforce what happened to the Nepalese safe house the other week?
Adey, I agree the GCC governments have the responsibility to make sure workers are treated fairly but often you hear about workers, specially of some nationalities, that are completely left on their own whenever faced with a problem of any nature. Anyways this article is total rubbish and I do hope it's just one man's voice!
As for my embassy in Doha, I can't really complain. In fact they are active and have been always very helpful. But then again they don't have a huge Liechtensteinian community to look after here in Qatar ; )
Actually I have information on the incarcerated Nepalese labourers and will put it on a thread for everyones interest.
I agree the embassies should do more to protect their nationals in contract disputes but the embassies have no power to legislate or enforce the employers contract obligations - that is the job of the GCC governments.
The governments should be taking the responsibility that workers get treated fairly, now that would be a way to cut down on the 'run aways'.
Btw British Em. in Jordan was fantastic a whole sports and social club on site and all welcome.
Once invited by the German Em. to watch a Euro 2004 match v Holland in an Amman hotel and we were told, with very Prussian arrogance, by an embassy official - " You must not cheer for ze other team!" Of course faced with such a demand how could we do anything else but hoot and hollow for their opponents! lol We never got invited to the next game. Our Germen friends got very embarressed and didnt bother going either.
I don't go to mythical places with strange men.
-- Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul.
Being British and in fact Scottish I have to agree with you they are only interested in top notch people and the rest are plain nobodies.
They were doing an invite for newcomers once but it never went any further than an e-mail.
When I lived in Iran I never received any notification from the British Embassy at all it was the German Embassy who informed me of goings on there.
Waste of time!!
Actually the British embassy is Qatar is useless it is just here to make money. It does nothing to contribute to the British expat community.
they aren't friendly or helpful or pleasant either. The Sudanese, Iranian and Eritrean embassies are a lot friendlier.
Not impressed.
It's about time the embassies start "protecting" their own people!
It got raided by the police and everyone sent to deportation centre.
I don't go to mythical places with strange men.
-- Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul.
what happened to the Nepalese safe house the other week?
ever ready, ever curious, ever happy