The laborers said they were contracted to work for KD 50 per month, but are only being paid KD 20. To add insult to injury, the company deducts KD 12 every month towards residency charges, leaving them with only KD 8.
How can we survive on 8 dinars a month, and suffer mistreatment on top of that," a worker asked. The cleaners, who had gathered in front of their living quarters, demanded the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor to look into their grievances and work to secure their rights. Separately, more than 50 workers demonstrated in Subhan over similar reasons.
Kuwait has witnessed a number of strikes and demonstrations over the past few weeks. Recent statistics put the number of foreign workers living and working in Kuwait at 1.7 million – almost double the number of Kuwaiti citizens. The majority of those workers lead a miserable existence, deprived of the basics and exposed to all kinds of abuse with no clear legal or civil rights.
