Company faces embassy clamp
by mahmood on 07/08/06 at 11:11 am · email · print
The Indian Embassy has blacklisted a Bahrain company accused of not giving written contracts to any of its employees.
It has forbidden Indians from working for the company, while the allegations are investigated by embassy and Labour Ministry officials.
Indian ambassador Balkrishna Shetty said yesterday that the action had been taken after evidence was presented by one of the company’s ex-employees.
“The company has been blacklisted by the Indian Embassy based on the fact that it has not been maintaining any written agreement with any of its Indian employees, which is against Bahraini law and Indian nationals are urged not to take up employment with this firm,” Mr Shetty told the GDN.
The embassy will pass the company’s name to labour authorities in India, so that potential recruits can be forewarned.
Labour Ministry head of occupational health and safety and labour inspections Nidhal Al Banna was not aware of the matter, but yesterday pledged to look into the case. The 33-year-old Indian marine geologist who made the allegations was in custody yesterday.
He was arrested last Wednesday after the company filed a case against him at the Hoora Police Station for allegedly stealing computer memory chips that contained vital information about the business.
The man was remanded in custody for an initial five days and is due before the Public Prosecutor today.
But he denies the allegation, saying the accusation was only made almost seven weeks after he resigned.
He had been working with the company for more than 18 months as a project manager.
The man alleges that the company does not have a written or signed employment agreement with any of its 15 to 18 employees and has refused to make contracts, despite repeated requests by workers.
The man, who did not want to be named, initially made his allegations during an Indian Embassy open house on July 28 – four days after the company filed the theft complaint with police.
He said that although his employer has never lapsed in paying his monthly BD250 salary, he was never paid a profit share that was verbally guaranteed to him.
“I joined the firm in November 2004 and was paid BD250 every month, but was refused the family visa status or rent allowance that I was entitled to,” he told the GDN.
“I also did not want to continue working with the firm because I knew it was trying to take its employees for a ride by promising to make a written job agreement with us soon, but actually planned to do nothing about it.
“I was also offered profit share verbally but never received any, however I decided not to pursue it because my foremost concern was to have some form of written contract.
“I continued working there in the hope that everything would be resolved soon. I had some projects to complete.
“I submitted my resignation personally on June 6th and following its rejection I sent another one by registered post the next day.
“I was told not to come for work from June 15 onwards, up until when I worked and when I claimed for my salary for the 15 days and leave salary he owed me, there was a denial.”
The man filed a case in the labour court against the company for unpaid salary of 15 days, leave salary for two years, sponsorship cancellation and an air ticket to India a week after his resignation was not accepted.
The first hearing for the same is scheduled for October 1t.
Another two Indian employees, who have been working at the firm for almost four years, told the GDN they were still waiting to sign an agreement with their employer despite, repeated requests.
“Our employer simply refuses to take responsibility for his employees,” said the employees, who would not be named.
“We have tried to resign a couple of times but were not allowed to and were convinced to stay on with promises. Mr Al Banna said the Labour Ministry would take the matter seriously.
“We are not aware of this situation at the moment, but we will investigate it,” he said. “We have a hotline to get reports about such violations in the country and take reports of complaints. “But in the ministry’s database there is no violation from this company. The company’s managing director said he was investigating, but would not comment further.
GDN :: Geoffrey Bew & Begena George :: 7 Aug, ’06
