Qatar
Trapped workers seek labour ministry intervention
Trapped workers seek labour ministry intervention
Sharing their concerns with Gulf Times, some of the workers complained that their employers have not completed their visa formalities even a year and two months after they joined the company and hence they are still without their residency permit (RP) cards.“As a result, we are unable to step out of the camp even on weekends," a representative of the aggrieved workers said.A number of workers have already left the country owing to issues such as “excessive working hours, non-payment of salaries and poor conditions in their accommodation”, the employees point out. “Our group is much smaller now as many of our co-workers have returned to their home countries,” said one of them.Further, some of the workers who left the country after falling out with the employer were not reportedly paid their gratuity even though they were eligible for end-of-service benefits.The employees said when labour officials visited the accommodation a few months ago, the company's representatives promised to improve their living conditions. "However, nothing has been done to alleviate our misery," one of them alleged.Speaking to Gulf Times from her native country, an ex-employee of the firm wondered how such a company was still managing to get visas. She said workers have already complained against the company to the labour authorities.The former worker said queries found that despite such complaints, the company managed to recruit more workers from her hometown recently and they were waiting to get their visas.Though efforts were made to contact the office of the company, none responded.