BANGLADESHI diplomats say they are closely following the case of 11 men, who have been arrested for allegedly blocking a major highway during a protest over non-payment of wages.
The expats work for G P Zachariades (GPZ) Civil Engineering and Contractors, which has been repeatedly accused of failing to pay its staff since 2017.
Those arrested include six Indians, five Bangladeshis and one Pakistani, but the Indian Embassy and the Pakistan Embassy did not respond to the GDN’s requests for a comment.
However, Bangladesh Embassy labour consul Shaikh Tahidul Islam told the GDN the men were arrested after a protest started inside their labour accommodation, in Nuwaidrat, and spilled onto the Shaikh Jaber Al Ahmed Al Sabah Highway.
“They first protested inside their camp, but later broke the gate of the camp and came to the highway, blocking traffic,” he told the GDN.
“They have broken the law of the land by staging the protest on a major highway and we do not defend the act.
“However, we requested the (GPZ) management to consider the case sympathetically – as the men have not been paid for months, some even for 11 months.
“The company did not heed any of our requests, including those of labour officials who were very co-operative.
“Now they (the 11 employees) have been transferred to the Alba detention centre.”
They are being detained at the temporary holding centre in Nuwaidrat, after being arrested following the incident on March 6.
Hundreds of GPZ employees are said to have taken part in the protest, which was against non-payment of salaries – some for almost a year.
The GDN has reported on several protests by former and current employees of the same company, dating back to 2017.
GPZ has repeatedly blamed late salaries on delays in receiving payment for work it carried out.
In August it settled outstanding salaries of hundreds of employees after it received nearly BD1 million from the Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry.
However, many others say they are still owed money.
Mr Islam said the employees in custody would likely face punishment for any unlawful activity, but added the embassy would seek to ensure they would not forfeit unpaid wages.
“Now the case is with the police and since the men have broken law, they will have to face the consequences,” added Mr Islam.
“We assume that they will face trial and the (Bangladesh) embassy has no lawyer to deal with such cases.
“If they are to be sent home, they need an out pass from the embassy as these men have no valid visas.
“In that case we will have to ensure that they are paid their dues, which the embassy would strongly insist upon.”
The GDN reported in January that around 100 employees working on two major construction projects under GPZ claimed they had not been paid for eight months.
They included engineers, senior managers, supervisors, accountants and administrative personnel including Bahrainis, Jordanians, Cypriots and Indians.
“GPZ has repeatedly failed in their promises on paying wages to these men, which they agreed to many times in front of diplomats from both our side and the Indian Embassy,” said Mr Islam.
“They also promised many times to labour officials, even in writing, which they did not honour.
“There is a cold store near the labour camp where the management has left instructions to give these men the food they need.
“Apparently, this cold store charges the men double on all the items and whenever they get any money, it is not sufficient to clear their credit at the store – hence the men have stopped buying from there.
“Most of them survive on one meal and, that too, very basic and many are sick.”
GPZ and Labour and Social Development Ministry officials could not be reached for comment yesterday.
raji@gdn.com.bh
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