Expat labourers in a fix after project gets delayed

Nearly 100 employees working for a power plant maintenance company yesterday requested the authorities to interfere, alleging mistreatment from the employer. The employer, however, denied the accusations.

The employees were drafted from interview conducted last month in the Indian city of Chennai for profiles ranging from plumbers, general fitters,helpers, forklift operators and instrument technicians, with salaries ranging from BD110 to BD140. They reached Bahrain a few weeks ago.

However, according to them, only a few were given work – that too only from October 11 to 17.

But when three of these employees were sent back early morning yesterday, the rest of them started to get restless. One of the employees recounted that on Tuesday night, five employees were taken by force by the employer. Three out of the five were sent back to India, after being forced to sign on final settlement papers, the employee said.

“We had paid INR 10,000 to INR 15,000 (about BD60 to BD90) to the agent during our selection,” alleged one of them. “If the employer sends us home abruptly, how can we show our faces to our relatives,” he added.

Dismissing the allegations, the Managing Director of the power plant maintenance company said that the employees were not given work because of the delay in the beginning of the project.

“Our clients - the power plant authorities - told that the plant will be shut from October 14 onwards and we were supposed to begin maintenance work on that day. But they delayed shutting the plant,” he said.

Regarding payment to agents, the MD said that during their selection process in Chennai, he specifically told the employees not to pay more than INR 5,000 (about BD30) to the agents, as service charge. “Why did they pay more than that?” he questioned.

The MD went on to elaborate the costs of maintaining the workforce with the delay in the project. According to him, the company had spent BD236 for visa and INR 14,000 (about BD80) for flight ticket for each employee.

On top of these costs, everyone was paid an advance amount ranging between BD10 and BD20.

The company is also paying BD25 for accommodation and BD35 for food per employee every month.

The MD also stressed that the company has also agreed to pay basic salary for the days the employees did not work.

On the three employees who were send back, the said the employees resigned willingly, with all of them writing the final settlement letters in their own hands, he said.

However, the employees still seem to be in fear, given that they are yet to receive their CPR cards. “ “Since we don’t have any valid identity proof, we cannot even go out of the labour accommodation,” one of the employees said. “If they don’t have work, let them send us back safely,” he urged.

To this, the company’s MD replied that he had not received their CPR cards yet from the authorities as the labourers reached Bahrain just two weeks ago. The MD also alleged that in spite of him asking some of the employees to go to another power plant to carry out maintenance work, they refused to go.