President Bush made several stump speeches during his trip to Central and South America, offering ‘cheap labor’ to corporate America. Largely ignored by the US mainstream media, is the dark side of this much touted program which often results in gross exploitation of these workers.
For example, hundreds of guest workers were recruited from India after paying from $15,000 to $20,000 to obtain H2 visas. Many took loans at exorbitant high interest rates and others spent their entire life savings to get these visas with promises of lucrative jobs, green cards and permanent residency in the US. They were told they would be housed in comfortable hotels and paid a handsome salary. On arrival, they had their passports and visas seized and were told they could not seek employment elsewhere. The ‘hotels’ turned out to be large containers housing 24 workers who had to share two bathrooms. A strict ban on outside visitors was enforced. 288 workers were employed by Signal International at their shipyard in Pascagoula Mississippi and about 200 in Texas living under the same conditions. They were paid sub-standard wages contrary to what they had been promised and charged exorbitant rents for their sub-standard housing. Driven by utter despair, the workers decided to go public to protest their appalling working and living conditions under threats of job terminations. Mindful, of the adverse publicity, Signal told seven of the workers that their jobs had been terminated and they would be sent back to India. On hearing the news, one of the workers, Sabu Lal, became so despondent that he tried committing suicide by slashing his wrists.
Saket Soni, spokesman for the Alliance of Guest Workers for Dignity explained that Signal is one of hundreds of employers who have used the guest worker program to entice cheap imported labor to undercut wages across the industry and maximize company profits. Last month, 30 plus Mexican workers in Sulphur, Louisiana held a press conference to protest their working conditions. Tragically, guest workers have invoked the resentment of African-Americans who have been displaced in favor of imported cheaper labor. Courageously, the Indian workers at Signal have now formed their own union. They are demanding reinstatement of the fired workers, immediate release of imprisoned workers, refund of their ‘visa money’ obtained under false promises, and a restitution of back wages. I urge readers to offer their solidarity and support to their less fortunate brethren by contacting Sharda Sekaran, Associate Director, National Economic and Social Rights Initiative (NESRI) at sharda@nesri.org or call 212-253-1771.
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