US embassy cable - 05KUWAIT3464

UNCLAS KUWAIT 003464 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
FOR G/TIP, NEA/ARPI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, PGOV, KCRM, ELAB, KU, HURI, Labor, PDEM 
SUBJECT: BANGLADESHI EMBASSY IN KUWAIT UPDATES G/TIP ON 
LABOR CONDITIONS 
 
REF: A. KUWAIT 3412 
     B. KUWAIT 1729 
     C. KUWAIT 1732 
 
1. (SBU) For source country insight into the plight of 
foreign laborers in Kuwait, visiting G/TIP delegation, 
Ambassador John Miller and Reports Officer Feleke Assefa (ref 
A), met July 27 with Bangladeshi Embassy Labor and Welfare 
Attache Shahriar Kader Siddiky who reported that 250,000 
Bangladeshis work in Kuwait, primarily as cleaners, oil 
company support staff and agricultural workers. He said that 
he visits workers at their company-provided accommodations, 
which he described as "okay in general" but sometimes cram 
8-10 people into one room. Siddiky mentioned that Bangladesh 
now prohibits its female citizens from working as maids 
abroad because of low pay and high incidence of abuse, 
although those employed before the ban may continue. He 
confirmed that there are no Bangladeshi camel jockeys in 
Kuwait. 
 
2. (SBU) Siddiky said Bangladeshi nationals are subject to 
exploitation, reporting that he receives six or seven 
labor-related calls per day; most complain of late salary 
payment. In his two months in Kuwait, however, Siddiky has 
only received one report of physical abuse. Siddiky reported 
that the embassy operates, and fully funds, a shelter in a 
separate facility providing food and accommodation to maids 
in need. Bangladesh advocates increasing workers' wages or 
including room and board in the laborers' compensation 
package, he added. According to Siddiky, the embassy supports 
the establishment of a 50KD ($171) minimum monthly salary as 
opposed to the GOK-backed 40KD ($137). 
 
3. (SBU) The Attache updated the delegation on the fate of 
workers who attacked their embassy in April protesting lack 
of salary payment (refs B,C). He reported that the group 
complained that Nibras Cleaning Service would either pay 
their staff for a lesser amount of hours than actually worked 
or withhold payment altogether. The GOK obligated the company 
to pay all back-wages. As a result of the public protests, 
according to Siddiky, the GOK canceled its contract with 
Nibras on June 30 resulting in 1,138 Bangladeshis losing 
their jobs. The embassy is attempting to transfer the workers 
to a new company, but, according to Siddiky, Kuwaiti law 
requires private sector employees to wait five years before 
switching sponsors. Government-sponsored workers, however, 
can transfer after one year. Until a solution is reached, the 
embassy is providing the unemployed workers with food. 
 
4. (U) G/TIP has not cleared this message. 
 
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Visit Embassy Kuwait's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ 
 
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LEBARON