On the other hand, my former colleague, who basically won his claim for maltreatment in court here in Kuwait, was of both German and Syrian descent. Moreover, he had a doctorate in Jurisprudence from Europe.
This fact demonstrates three important things to would-be job-seekers around the world who seek their fortune abroad: (1) Know the culture of the land you are looking for a job in, (2) know the language of the land and (2) be as familiar with your rights as possible.
Finally, I should add that workplace safety should be considered an important point of concern as well.
For example, in Qatar alone, one newspaper article indicated that near 100 construction workers from Nepal have died in a variety of accidents in 2007. A similar death rate by Americans on construction sites would certainly lead to war with the United States, but the benefit of being an American abroad is not so bright and shiny as it once was.
American journalists, NGO workers, and even missionaries have been targeted by death squads, suicide bombers, and militias in many corners of the planet. Know your right to any protections before you go abroad! (Know whether your body will ever be transported home, too. I’m donating my remains, so I am not so concerned at this point.)
The world is mostly not a dangerous place but ignorance can lead to death—recall what happened to those NGO workers killed by local tribes in Afghanistan earlier this last spring. Their mistake was simply not to realize that they needed permission to camp on a beautiful piece of ground. In short, lack of language skills and lack of knowledge of the local culture is just not wise.
INTERNATIONAL LAWS CONCERNING WORKER RIGHTSThere are many international conventions concerning emigrant labor rights. For example, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states:
Article 2: “Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.”Article 4: “No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.”
Article 6: “Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.”
Article 7: “All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.” Article 8: “Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.”Article 9: “No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.”
Article 13: “(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state. (2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.”
Article 22: “Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.”
Article 23: “(1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment. (2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work. (3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.(4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.”Article 24: “Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.”Article 25: “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control. . . .”Article 28: “Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.”These articles from the Declaration of Universal Rights are supposedly recognized by every single country that is part of the WTO—and in most any other country on the planet. What is needed is that companies operating in their own countries or overseas follow these rules and encourage local governments to enforce the laws. Further, labor groups need to be organized and recognized as legal bodies in all countries as soon as possible.
Both American businesses and labor groups have failed to support either American or non-American foreign worker rights in many countries. Moreover, the U.S. government in its many forms as military or embassy personnel have done far too little to support native and non-native workers that provide infrastructure or services to them. For example, First Kuwaiti and other subcontractors to the U.S. military and government in Iraq are creating a dismal reputation for promoting suffering to third-national immigrants to the region who are subcontracted out to them.
I recently saw an article on the front page of the Kuwait Times about poor workers for food chains, like Pizza Hut, who had been recruited among the foreign workforce in Asia. Those who have lost limbs on U.S. army bases are now in Kuwaiti hospitals wondering how they will ever be able to take care of their families back in South Asia.
Americans working abroad and Americans in the States need to shout “Foul!” when these rights are not recognized irregardless of the borders many of us recognize to some degree or another.
Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
