Contracting company accused of forgery

Manama : A contracting company based in Isa town is forging employment contracts in order to pay less government fees, it was claimed yesterday.

The company is also accused of mistreating its employees and delaying salary, according to complaints raised by a former employee during the Indian embassy open house held yesterday. 

The former employee, an Indian national, said that he was shocked when he went to the LMRA office recently and found that his contract registered there was different from the one he had signed. 

“They discarded the original contract and then they forged a new one. My salary was BD596 but in the contract that they forged it to BD250. They did this so that they pay less of the monthly government fees charged on expatriate employee. However, I was paid BD596 every month”, said the former employee, who requested anonymity.

“A year ago a new management took over our company and things have changed a lot since then. The new manager in-charge of recruiting is firing all the old employees and harassing those at work,” he said.

“I was fired from the company in July. They still refuse to cancel my visa, eventhough I received my termination letter. It does not make any sense. It seems they just want to trouble me and harass me,” he said. 

He further said that there are many others facing the similar situation.

“Some of them have resigned while others left to their home-country. Many are still working there. Last week one of my colleagues went
back to India with the help from the Indian embassy,” he said.

“When I asked for my Visa cancellation, they asked me to find a job. After finding a job, I  gave them a copy of the offer letter and requested the visa to be cancelled. However, they still did not cancel my visa. I am seeking help at the Embassy and the LMRA to find an alternate way to cancel my visa,” he said.

He added that the company also owes him money. “They have not given me the salary for the last month. My leave salary and my indemnity has also been held,” he said. 

The open house was held at the Indian Embassy premises in Adliya yesterday morning.