Andhra, Telangana emigrants at the receiving end of labour law violations

Revealing a series of labour law violations, a two year long study has found that 60% of semi-skilled workers emigrating from Hyderabad, East Godavari and West Godavari and Kadapa districts are denied their salaries either by travel agents or employers themselves.

The study, which was conducted over 2016 and 2017 by National Workers Movement, includes a detailed survey and focus group interviews with 10,000 emigrants hailing from the three districts. East Godavari and West Godavari contribute close to 35% of Telugu speaking emigrant population living in countries in the West Asia including Qatar, Kuwait and United Arab Emirates.

As per the study, 29% of labourers were denied salaries for over two years and 14% were denied income for two years to seven years. Apart from that, 45% of the respondents were denied salaries for at least six months, the study found.

In around half the cases (49%), salaries were stuck in the pipeline as Indian job recruitment agents refused to remit the salary amount into the bank accounts of beneficiaries.

However, 23% of the reported cases listed employment providers as fraudsters who made them work without pay for months or years together.

As per the report, one emigrant Balla Padma of East Godavari was trapped in a family home in Kuwait for seven years before she was compensated.

Another emigrant , Farida Begum of Barkatpura in the city, was denied salary for nine months and was physically abused by her employers.

The emigrants who were surveyed were picked according to the random sampling method, said Lisy Joseph, who heads National Workers Movement.

As all emigrants were profiled, the study pointed out that around 74% of those going abroad for domestic work hail from under-privileged backgrounds and are either Dalits or Muslims.

UN initative

The study has come to light when United Nation's global combat initiative would hold its final consultation on immigrant rights and labour laws in July this year. The summit will have 193 countries - including India - as participants.

Countries which send emigrants abroad and countries that act as transit stations between sender and receiver countries would be part of the meeting, along with countries which receive labour support from their immigrant work force.

Sister Joseph, who had represented Indian emigrants in two of the previous consultations, said India should demand imposition of minimum wages for its citizens. “International labour laws should be implemented in all countries which receive foreign semi-skilled labourers,” she said. According to Bhim Reddy, another emigrant rights activist, India should also represent its emigrants in Abu Dhabi consultations, which will take place this month.