1200 workers from a single Qatari company stranded
Summary
Date Reported: 14 May 2018
Location: Qatar
Companies
Alaqaria - Unknown , HKH General Contracting - UnknownAffected
Total individuals affected: 1200
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( Number unknown - Philippines , Construction , Gender not reported ) , Migrant & immigrant workers: ( Number unknown - Sri Lanka , Construction , Gender not reported ) , Migrant & immigrant workers: ( Number unknown - Bangladesh , Construction , Gender not reported ) , Migrant & immigrant workers: ( Number unknown - India , Construction , Gender not reported )Issues
Right to Food , Recruitment Fees , Failing to renew visas , Precarious/Unsuitable Living Conditions , Personal Health , Wage TheftResponse
Response sought: Yes, by Resource Centre
Story containing response: (Find out more)
Action taken: Pressure from rights organisations resulted in water and electricity being restored, but the employed staff continued to face issues and were threatened with eviction. Complaints were registered directly with HKH Contracing, at the Indian, Nepal and Bangladesh embassies who wrote to the company and provided relief where possible. Workers registered complaints with: the Qatari Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs; with the human rights office of the Ministry of Interior; and, with the NHRC, who coordinated with a Qatar charity, Indian embassy, Nepal embassy and Indian Community Benevolent Forum (ICBF). A complaints mechanism failed to pick up reports of delayed and non-payment of wages, failure to renew visas, and unsafe conditions. The case was referred to the ILO's new project office in Qatar.
Source type: NGO
About 1200 workers from HKH Contracting Co have been left stranded in Qatar after not being paid for several months... For several weeks, the workers went without running water or electricity, depending on Qatar Red Crescent, the Indian Community Benevolent Fund and other community organisations for help and relief supplies, including diesel to power the generators... For several years now, workers say their salaries have been delayed by a few months every time. According to records MR received, between September 2016 and August 2017, five of the payments took six to ten weeks to be processed. On 1 October 2017, when the June salary had still not been credited, workers filed a formal complaint to the management. A verbal assurance was given that ‘everything would be sorted out’ and everyone went back to work. However, things continued to deteriorate and as of now, the staff haven’t received salaries since September 2017... HKH charged their staff visa renewal fees until 2016. Most of the workers did not have a health card. With delayed salaries, it was not always possible for the workers to cough up the fee for work permit renewal...