Greetings all,

Today, I would share the story of an Indian worker who I have known since I was a kid, but I came to really know and understand today, after talking to him for a while.

Since I was a kid, my mom used to ask this skinny, quiet and always smiling Indian gardener, working where she was an employee then, to come to our house and do some gardening. He was a kind and pride man. He always worked like a perfectionist and was an extremely talented gardener and always did magic to the plants and trees he touched.

Today, as I returned from work, I saw him outside our house pampering the few plants my mom still has. He looked even skinnier and old. Once he was done, he asked me to drop him to the closest point where he could find a taxt. When I found out he was trying to go to his room, around 30 kilometers away, I decided to drop him all the way, and I came to know a sad fact of life, which I hope I never forget.

During our conversation, out of curiosity, I asked him how much money he made? The answer he gave was nothing less than an eye-opening shock! He smilingly replied 75 Rials (about 195 USD) per month. Then I asked about how many hours he worked, and he said: "I wake up at 4AM and must take the company bus by 5AM so that I can be at my site at 6AM".

Although I was overwhelmingly saddened, but my curiosity, perhaps because his situation made no sense to me, I asked further:

"Did you change your gardening service providing company which you used to work with years back?" And he replied: "No, I continued my 26th year in this company."

Imagine, a man honestly working in the same job, in the same company, for over 25 years and only getting a salary increment of 30 Rials!

During the whole talk, he kept on thanking Allah nevertheless, saying he was happy with the company, the pay on time and we get free food he added. But then, he reluctantly said, its just the salary, if only the increase it a little bit!

And not only that, he told me they pay him depending on India' currency. Meaning, no employee should get more than around 5,000 Rupees. So if 50 Rials = 5000 rupees, they will reduce his salary. And if currency goes up, they increase.

The whole conversation was so saddening that I reached his company mess in no time, without even whining about the pathetic traffic in Muscat. At end, he thanks god again, as he is still able to support his wife and two daughters back home even at this age (mashallah).

We always realize how lucky we are when we see people in poorer situations than us. What Allah blesses us with is a gift, and the saddest of all things one can do is waste away whatever wealth he gets like idiots on trivial or meaningless things.

I would share more thoughts later, and discuss some lessons I learned from this 50 year old noble man, but lets hear what you guys have to say? What do you think about such million-dollar companies that use these poor people in need like animals?

Wow, what a touching story and makes one reflect. Companies that abuse people like this need to be held accountable and trust me God is watching also.

I can add a similar story: Where I used to work, we had contract cleaners through a big well known Omani company. They worked hard and long, and although they got (basic) accommodation and food, they were paid OR30 per month (about $78). We used to give them extra for cleaning cars and other bits and pieces, because we knew they didn't earn much.

But what really shocked me was one day when I talked to one of them who was looking very upset. He said that they had all had their contracts cancelled (some of them after ten years with no salary increase), and...get this...offered new contracts for OR 20 a month! (US$52). They had no choice but to accept.

The owner of this company is a "sheikh" with a long beard and very respected. I always thought he was a nice man, and I would like to think he did not know about these decisions. But it shocks me that anyone could do this to another human being, let alone one who has worked loyally for many years, on shamefully low pay from the beginning.

It's really terrible...I hope something is going to be done about this problem in our country soon

I always find a similar story when I chat with any of those poor labors.

Sometimes, we are taken by our arrogance, the cash we have and the college degree we have…we look down to others as if they chose their destinies…

One day I was in my office when I was at work in Oman, I stayed late that evening until 6 PM, the time when offices were cleaned and maintained. I had the chance to talk to an Omani janitor; he was 21 years old from an interior city. He was the eldest of 9 siblings from two mothers. His father passed away and left his family no supporter except for the pitiful allowance that family received from the so called “social security.” So this young man had to guard his siblings from both mothers. He would wake up every morning from Saturday to Thursday at 6 AM to start cleaning at the air port till 4 PM, and then they took a break before they were shipped to where I worked at 5 PM until 9 PM. The salary was I think something around RO. 150.

We always complain how taught life is…because of a bad grade in an exam… or not enough cash to satisfy our greed…

I perceive getting in touch with those people and having this kind of reflections as a reminder of who we really are and what we can suddenly be…

Actually India's government asked for a minimum wages of 400 $ in Bahrain for its workers
Salary and savings apart, how much does he have to pay for the renewal of the labour card to the owner of the company ?
Recently they told me they ask 1400 rials for men [visa with job]

The owner of this company is a "sheikh" with a long beard and very respected. I always thought he was a nice man, and I would like to think he did not know about these decisions. But it shocks me that anyone could do this to another human being, let alone one who has worked loyally for many years, on shamefully low pay from the beginning.

Thanks for sharing. As for the gardener I talked to, he told me, upon asking, that his company is owned by some Omani guy, but that guy is not involved in the management directly. The company heads are "white people" as he said, and the middle and lower level managers are Indians.

He said that the Indian managers don't even let us reach the top management or owner. He said they keep us away and everybody assumes things are alright.

Actually India's government asked for a minimum wages of 400 $ in Bahrain for its workers
Salary and savings apart, how much does he have to pay for the renewal of the labor card to the owner of the company ?
Recently they told me they ask 1400 rials for men [visa with job]

In this particular company's case, they pay for renew and all on their own, and even pay air tickets for 2-month holidays every two years. I suppose there are worst companies out there, but still, the low pay these thousands of employees get is simply unacceptable!

We white-collar workers get stressed, change jobs and whine on the smallest of issues, probably rightly so, but there poor blue-collar workers can't do anything to make their situation better, simply because, they can't or don't know how to!

Here in Oman, many teenagers and even many educated and grown-up Omanis, simply are unaware of the issue. I am sure, if at least they realized the situation these men live in, they would change their pathetic behavior towards them and perhaps we will end up having more professional and productive employees in Oman (for a change).

This guy's story is so touching and I'm pretty sure it's not an isolated case of labor abuse in Oman -specially talking about the Asian expats!
Workers' human rights in these kind of Omani companies are violated by such cheap employers and they should be reported for what they are doing. It's an obviously abuse of their need to work and gain money and what really sucks is the huge profits that these companies made because of thoes poor workers' hard working. It's time to stop treating them like animals and know well that god is watching them and that they are gonna be judged one day for what they're doing on people.

Thanks STING for sharing this story and this. No one of us likes to be abused or wish this in any one else.

It's very sad .. Company owners should think of increasing those labour's salary before they think of increasing their manager's salary!

There was a similar problem in Dubai as well ..
But Sheik Muhammed Rashid Al Maktoum .. dealt with it very quickly ..
He was sued against Human Rights that the labours lived and slept in a very messy environment with cheap salary ..
but he built a new modern residence building for them .. and increased their salary!

wish some people can think the same way this man thinks!

Well who knows AB, maybe the top officials here will work with the top management of these companies when they come to realize how sad i their lives.

I will be honest though, the company mess I visited was decent and clean, and even the labor said the same, but its just that their salaries should not be fixed based on what they get in India.

These men work extremely long hours, all away from home. There should at least be a system where their salaries are incremented as time passes by. You know, if after 25 years of work, you can't retire, then whats the use? This man must work and work, without stop. And in his case specially, he has daughters, so basically once he goes back come, he will have no source of income!

Sting, I agree with everything you said. There is also one thing I've noticed though - however badly Omanis or others treat Indians...nobody is as horrible to Indians as other Indians!

Yeah mimosa, thats true. Its probably like a jungle back home, where the smarter and stronger eats the weaker, and these supervisors and managers use the same concept here!

That is a good story and affective in the same time, but you know what that is nothing till now with compare with other countries. I believe there are lot things that are coming.
Such story need to be reported not only discussed, the question will say to whom such stories or accidents should be reported??????

This reminded me of SweatSHops.. The Sweat shop workers dont get paid much for their hard work. sij they sweat while they work but get low wage :(
Very sad, i hope it changes.
God help them.

Yes, labour abuse in Oman is horrible. At least the company you're talking about, unlike many other large businesses in Oman, provides decent accomodation for the workers. Something needs to be done about the wages and living conditions!

Let me play the devil adovocate here (Please note that I totally agre that the situation those workers are in is sad and it needs imporvment. I am just opting for a richer argument):

If the company raised the salary of those workers (or the embasies like amo suggested), it would mean thier cost would raise and it would mean the increase in prices would be the long term effect.

If we are willing to expect the increase in prices, then fine. But whats the use of feeling sad and all but when the prices increase we start making a big fuss out of it.

Good point you raised there AP. But if you notice, these kind of employees, who work in cleaning and garden maintenance companies, earn extremely low, and if their salaries are increased a little bit, there is no way that we will have any inflation.

The customer of such companies are large businesses, banks or ministries. These organizations either already make millions in profits or don't care about profits, so I don't see how will it directly affect the inflation or normal people living in Oman.

Thats Sooo Sad! :cry:

Every little bit affects the economy, thats why its very complicated. Imagine a cleaning company hiring 10000 employees. If they raised the salary by 10 RO. It would mean an increase of 100,000 RO. This is not little money and the company will have to distribute its extra cost to the new vendors which will automaticly pass it to the consumer.
We cant only concentrate on the services area business, but the bussiness sector as a whole.

i think the money paid by the clients is not fairly shared.

AP, thats true. And in this company they have about 6,000 expatriate workers, but all I am saying is that the economy or inflation is not the real issue here. These companies make millions in profits. The only harm will be done to the company's balance sheet.

Actually India's government asked for a minimum wages of 400 $ in Bahrain for its workers


The same thing that our governemnt asked the UAE government to fix the 120 ROz for omanies working in the UAE :)

I think Sting's story apply on all west-asians workers who do less paid jobs. And that's the same thing for the Omanies who go work abroad in other gulf countries. So, that's how life works. There are rich countries and poor countries and a third one between.