KUWAIT, Oct 20(Kuwait Times): Hundreds or even maybe thousands employees from a cleaning company based in Shuwaikh may stage a strike today, if their demands to receive a minimum salary of KD 60 as stipulated in the contracts signed are not met. The laborers, mainly from Bangladesh, employed as cleaning personnel at various ministries and government offices, in addition to large private companies announced yesterday, their plans to halt work indefinitely claiming 'continuous company violation.' A notice of strike sent to th
e company was acquired by the Kuwait Times through an insider source.
If the demands are not met, it will be the second strike that the workers will have staged within two years. In 2008, the laborers were on strike demanding better pay and better living conditions. "We were told to wait for another three months so that the company grants us our request, but a three-month period is too long; the workers need money. Besides, we have suffered enough," said a Bangladeshi supervisor working with the same company and requested anonymity. Though he will report to work job today,
as the workers have been advised to do so by the company, he was not sure if all the workers would heed to the company's notice and would request their embassy to prevent them from downing their tools.
We were already advised by the embassy to convince our compatriots not to go on a strike. Personally, I'll be working tomorrow, but I don't know about the others. The number of Bangladeshi workers in the company amounts to 13,000. So, I really do not know whether all these workers will be working or some of them will no longer report to duty," he added. A company cleaner at Farwaniya Hospital confirmed that he would be joining the rest of the group strike that is to be held today, "Yes, we are not workin
g tomorrow (today). We have a problem with our salaries; the company is deaf to our demands. We are going to stop (working). They knew we are serious about asking for a long-delayed increase," said Sharfudin, a tea boy at Farwaniya Hospital.
The workers demand a KD 60 salary for an eight-hour duty and KD 120 for a 16-hour job. Supervisors wanted a KD 90 salary to perform an eight hours job and KD 180 to perform 16 hours of work. Workers have also intensified their demand to receive free air tickets to return home and that they should be entitled to receive the indemnity as stipulated in the amendments of the Labor Law. In addition, workers opposed the company's internal regulation to collect release money upon a worker's completion of five yea
rs of service with the company.
This time we are receive KD 40 for eight hours work and additional KD 40 when we work for eight hours overtime; so only KD 80 for 16 hours of work, it wasn't satisfactory anymore," the supervisor said. "They said they will give our demands after three months. That is good news; but I don't know whether we should believe them because they promised many times but they never stand by their words," the supervisor said speaking on behalf of the group.
Until now, the notice of strike is on the go. There will be cleaners who will not report for duty but there are some who will be working," the supervisor said. The strike was initially called by the workers of one company in Shuwaikh, but some of them believed they will be joined by other cleaning companies. When contacted, the Bangladesh Labor Attache Ali Razak noted they have intervened on the matter, "We relayed the demand to the company owner; we also communicated with the workers and told them not t
o hold any strike at all.
What I knew as of today (noon time yesterday) they are not going to push through with the strike. I am not aware whether there are changes on their plans," he pointed out. Asked whether he was aware about the condition put forward by workers, he told the Kuwait Times, "No, we don't really know about that; what I know is that they are waiting to receive the fund promised by the (Kuwaiti) government. Only then, they can heed to their demands.
When asked if he was aware that workers will stop working by today, "I am not aware about the plan, but in the embassy, we've done our part. We have informed and reminded the workers about the consequences already," the embassy official added. In July 2008, hundreds of Bangladeshi cleaners were deported after they were arrested in a violent protest demanding their labor rights. In February 2010, Kuwait welcomed new labor law (for private sectors) assuring the rights of expatriates workers and hosts of other pro-private labor benefits.
The Kuwaiti government also promised to scrap the sponsorship system (kafeel system) although selective. According to government officials, it will be enforced in February 2011. Expatriates, comprising mainly Asians and Arabs, account for two thirds of Kuwait's 3.4 million population. Annual inflation hit 11.4 per cent in April in the world's seventh largest oil exporter as high housing and food costs continued to spur price rises.