Monday, January 26, 2009

Working Slaves

An article entitled "Indian workers' struggle shines light on human trafficking, slave labor," spoke about Indian workers tricked into slave labor. They took jobs for the relief effort in Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. They were promised green cards. So they emptied their pockets as much money as twenty thousand and gave it to their employers. Instead of green cards, they were given temporary visas and out twenty thousand. They fought back but were given sympathy at best, even from the Indian embassy.

The sad truth is this subject is given very little attention and each case is barely different from the next. There are a large number of reports unaccounted for which is bad enough, but if they're ever uncovered they not have a voice to fight back.

In the article it states that slavery exists in plain sight in Florida. People are promised jobs with decent salaries and green cards. Soon they are deceived and in debt.First Kuwaiti General Trading & Contracting workers from India, Pakistan, the Philippines and other Asian countries were routinely beaten, denied medical care and forced to live in horrible conditions. This moved one employee of the company to 'resign in disgust' the article says. His words were, "Every U.S. labor law was broken."

What stood out? The last few sentences. In some places Slaver is in plain sight and nothing is being done about it. For a nation which holds such high standards for law, how can they allow every law they've ever written to be broken in their own country?


http://www.pslweb.org/site/News2?JServSessionIdr009=v29yt8h827.app5b&page=NewsArticle&id=9509&news_iv_ctrl=1261

1 comment:

Johnnyo said...

If the American people really knew what went on in Baghdad and the surrounding areas where every US labor law was broken they would really get angry, I spoke with a US Gov attorney who said US laws don't always apply internationally, but these jobs are US funded paid for by American taxes. The problem is First Kuwaiti's abusive tactics and unlawful practices didn't get enough US press coverage, I doubt even our own Government would want the American people to know about this.