Hyderabad: NGOs working for the welfare of Gulf workers believe that aspirants need training in concerned sectors and the government should introduce skill development training centres to facilitate things for them.
About 80 per cent of workers leaving for the Gulf and already working in the Gulf are blue-collar workers without skills; these workers are being exploited by agents and employers alike.
Ex-minister Mohammad Ali Shabbir said Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy’s government introduced training classes for Gulf aspirants in 2006 and continued it during Congress government.
“We trained about 10,000 workers in construction works, plumbing, electrical works, carpentry and others at National Academy of Construction. Labour without skills or those who were semi-skilled got professional with 4-month courses. The government released funds for accommodation and other expenses for trainees during the training period. Based on these certificates, they got jobs in Gulf. The present government is neglecting such training programmes,” Mr Shabbir Ali said.
TJAC chairman M. Kodandaram said the government should introduce a cell to train Gulf aspirants.
‘Azad’ visa may curtail freedom
NGOs working for the welfare of Gulf workers are advising aspirants to be aware about the local laws and the different categories of visas.
Gulf Returnee Wel-fare Members Society president Shaik Chand Pasha said agents would lure aspirants with ‘azad’ visa, which allows a worker in Gulf countries two years to search for a job.
“Azad visa is for poor Arabs who are willing to establish a small scale unit. But, corrupt Arabs sell the azad visa to agents at 10,000 Saudi Riyals and the agents sell it to Telugus for Rs 2 lakh to Rs 3 lakh. Many victims feel that it is a royal visa but it is illegal,” he said.
The local, who sells the visa to the agent, later takes back the visa by providing Akama, and the Indian worker has to search a job on his own risk.
“To avoid legal issues, they hand over the passport of the Indian worker and tell the local governments that the worker has run away. If the police catches the worker elsewhere during raids, they lodge him in jail,” Mr Chand Pasha said.
He said some women were being exploited by agents and gaining profits from both sides – from the victim and from the kafil.
“The agents collect Rs 1.6 lakh from women on the pretext of offering jobs as domestic helps at a salary of Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 per month. Out of the Rs 1.6 lakh, the agent collects 50 per cent as his commission and gives them a visit visa. Once in the Gulf, he hands the women over to another agent and collects up to Rs 1 lakh from them. The agent in the Gulf sells the women to any kafil, which does not give them a single penny towards salary and treats the worker as bonded labour,” Mr Chand Pasha said.
Mr Pasha advised aspirants not to go till they get employment visa, which will be provided by either manpower companies at Gulf or the employer.
“Vakala visas given by employers are valid in Arab countries, but that given by agents are not valid,” he said.
