US embassy cable - 05KUWAIT3389

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 003389 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR G/TIP, NEA/ARPI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/30/2015 
TAGS: PHUM, ELAB, PGOV, KCRM, PREL, PINR, KU, Labor 
SUBJECT: INDIAN WORKERS CONFRONT THEIR EMBASSY ABOUT LABOR 
EXPLOITATION IN KUWAIT 
 
REF: KUWAIT 1732 
 
Classified By: CDA Matthew Tueller for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1. (U) Summary: Expatriate workers in Kuwait continue to air 
their labor grievances publicly since the Bangladeshi revolt 
in April (reftel) emboldened other groups to denounce 
exploitative labor practices. Local media chronicled July 
16-25 the fate of approximately 140 Indian workers who sought 
their embassy's assistance for the second time this year to 
force their company to pay back-wages and provide them proper 
employment visas. Some accused the embassy of collaborating 
with the Kuwaiti company although the Indian Consul, Ram 
Rattan, said he is working with the GOK to solve the matter. 
End summary. 
 
2. (U) According to local media reports, approximately 80 
Indian laborers from the Golden Shaheen Company returned to 
their embassy July 15 to seek assistance in an on-going labor 
dispute, which they originally protested in February. The 
workers alleged that their company was delinquent in salary 
payments and refused for more than a year to change their 
visit visas to employment permits, thus making their stay in 
Kuwait illegal and subjecting them to "blacklisted" 
deportation, a practice forcing expatriates to leave the 
country and banning them from returning for a set period of 
time. The Indians claimed that their monthly wages had been 
reduced from 25KD ($86) to 15KD ($51) in retribution for the 
February protest despite an original agreement of a 45KD 
($154) salary. They also said the company required them to 
pay 212KD ($725), an exorbitant fee given their salaries, to 
renew their visas, causing 140 workers, almost half of the 
Indians employed by Golden Shaheen, to remain with expired 
visas and amass immigration fines of up to 750KD ($2,565). 
 
3. (U) The workers, some with suitcases in hand, returned 
July 20 to seek refuge at the Indian Embassy after police 
raided their company-sponsored living quarters in the 
Abassiya neighborhood, dubbed "Keralafornia" for its high 
concentration of inhabitants from the Indian state of Kerala, 
and detained 65 for not possessing valid work permits. On 
July 23, the company turned over 22 workers to immigration 
authorities who placed them in a detention center to await 
deportation. The press quoted the detainees who blamed their 
embassy for giving false hopes that it would solve the 
dispute. Some even alleged the embassy was collaborating with 
the company rather than advocating on behalf of the workers. 
 
4. (C) To seek clarification, PolOff met July 25 with Indian 
Embassy Consul Ram Rattan who began the conversation with his 
usual downplaying, almost denial, of labor exploitation of 
Indian nationals in Kuwait. Within 15 minutes, however, 
Rattan began to speak more openly of the realities Indians 
face, qualifying his remarks with "just between you and me." 
First, he explained that visit visa holders are not allowed 
to obtain a civil ID card, do not qualify for medical 
coverage and are often paid less than workers with legal 
status. Rattan would not comment on the fate of the detained 
workers since the case is on-going but did mention that "we 
are getting very good cooperation with the Government," 
specifically with the Ministries of Interior and Social 
Affairs and Labor. The Embassy's goal, he said, is to 
repatriate approximately 150 Indians without a prejudicial 
ban. 
 
5. (C) Rattan admitted that the issue of Golden Shaheen is 
thorny since its owner is one of the Amir's sons. Five 
representatives of the disgruntled laborers met with Rattan 
and the Indian Ambassador prior to the police raids. They 
reported that the company had actually agreed to pay the 
workers 60KD ($205) per month rather than the 25KD they 
received before the February protest. 
 
6. (U) The Consul confirmed a newspaper report that the 
embassy operates a twice-weekly legal clinic for Indian 
nationals who can receive free advice from a Kuwaiti lawyer. 
According to an English-language daily, up to 50 Indians 
attend the sessions, which have been offered for two years. 
 
7. (C) Rattan, who bears an uncanny resemblance to North 
Korean leader Kim Jong Il, is scheduled to leave Kuwait later 
this summer to serve in Kabul where he worked previously. He 
reported that he came to Kuwait three years ago from 
Bratislava. 
 
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TUELLER