Forced Labor in the Persian Gulf

Forced Labor in the Persian Gulf

    Theresa M. Dantes is a 29 year old woman from the Philippines. She signed a contract, last year, with an employment agency in the Philippines. This would allow her come here in order to work as a maid in house earning $400 a month, in addition to room and board. When she got here her employer stated that he would only pay her $250. She consented to the lower wages because she had family back in Queon City that were reliant on the money she earned. Once she arrived she found that she was only given one meal per day which were leftovers from the families lunch. She stated, "if no leftovers, I didn't eat." She worked everyday of the week and after she cleaned her employer's house she was made to clean his mother-in-law and sister's house. When Ms. Dantes attempted to leave her employer laughed at her and told her that she couldn't quit. Kafala ("system that governs the working lives of every foreigner employed in Qatar"). She was unable to quit her job without the permission of her boss. She ran away and joined 56 women that had attempted to find shelter at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office. 94 percent of the Qatar labor force is made up by some 1.2 million foreign workers. It was developed in the late 1950s in low populated Persian Gulf states which were in need of people to work in their industries (oil and gas). The Qatar has grown so much that there are almost five foreign workers for each Qatari citizen. In the next few years it is conceivable that a million more foreign workers will come to help with construction on nine new stadiums. They will also be needed to help build $20 billion in roads which will be needed by 2022 (when Qatar hosts the World Cup). The Human Rights Watch has called this type of work they are undertaking as "forced labor." They employers take on legal responsibilities for their workers as well as giving them payment for their work, a work visa, and board and food. The worker must then agree to work for their boss for a fixed amount of time. However, these workers are not allowed to: switch jobs, leave the country, obtain a driver's license, rent a home, open a checking account without consent for his/her employer-sponsor, or kafeel (which can be withdrawn at anytime causing the worker to be sent home). In addition, one Arab-American businessman named Nasser Beydoun, stated that he was an "economic hostage" for 685 days in Doha before he was freed in October of 2011. Mr. Beydoun then stated, "Foreign workers in Qatar are modern-day slaves to their local employers. The local Qatari owns you." It was revealed by a poll, issued by the Social and Economic Survey Research Institute at Qatar University, that only half of blue-collar workers (foreign) have signed work contracts before they come to Qatar. The rest come with a verbal understanding or agreement. The formal work contracts, however, do not give enough protection to these workers. A quarter of the blue-collar employees, that signed contracts, stated that their employers did not follow all the specifications of their contract. Another poll revealed that it increased to 42 percent with the third who were making less than $275 a month. The Human Rights and some labor advocates pressed the government into promising to offer new protections. Hussein al-Mulla (under secretary of the Labor Ministry) said, "Seven, eight years ago we didn’t have labor laws. It is better now than before. It will be better in the future." A phone line has been made so that employees can report abuses anonymously as well a system of arbitrating labor disputes. Those who are employing these workers have to report paycheck details to the Labor ministry. Laws are being finalized that set standards on occupational health, safety, and a charter of the rights of workers'. Andrew Gardner (anthropologist at the University of Puget Sounds) studies gulf labors and she reported, "The challenge is enforcement of these laws and establishing a new work culture. The scope of the problem is so large and the number of foreigners is growing so quickly.” Even though progress has been made more still needs to be done.
    The obvious violation of rights is forcing people to do work that is outside of the parameters of their contracts and under such poor circumstances (low pay, leftovers, etc). Their personal health and freedoms are very restricted which is undoubtedly something every human being deserves. Progress has been made though because of people becoming aware of the problem and they are attempting, and in some ways, have made laws to allow these people to earn a living in a safe and healthy environment.

Molly Winfree
04/19/2013
3:27 pm
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/14/sunday-review/indentured-servitude-in-the-persian-gulf.html?hpw