Letter re labour abuses among workers at Security Solutions, Bahrain
Summary
Date Reported: 28 Feb 2021
Location: Bahrain
Companies
ART Hotel & Resort, Bahrain - Unknown , Bahrain Airport Co. (BAC) - Unknown , Rotana Hotel Management Corp. - Unknown , Security Solutions - Unknown , Zain - UnknownAffected
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( 1 - Africa , Security companies , Gender not reported )Issues
Recruitment Fees , Precarious/Unsuitable Living Conditions , Restricted mobility , Dismissal , Right to Food , Wage Theft , Freedom of MovementResponse
Response sought: Yes, by Resource Centre
Story containing response: (Find out more)
Action taken: The worker reported his situation to the police who directed him to the Labour Authority, who directed him to the Ministry of Labour, who passed him back to the Labour Authority. He later registered a complaint with the Ministry but never heard back. Although the Labour Authority pushed the employer to purchase his air ticket, at the time of writing he had not received either owed wages or an air ticket. Business & Human Rights Resource Centre contacted Security Solutions and its clients Bahrain Airport Co. (BAC), Bahrain ART Hotel & Resort, hotel brand Rotana, and communications company Zain regarding the allegations and invited them to respond. Security Solutions' response can be read in full below. BAC and Zain both engaged with the security provider to investigate the allegations. Rotana responded to state that they no longer had a management agreement with the hotel allegedly provided with Security Solutions workers and that they were not made aware of the allegations during the contract's existence. They did not respond to our highlighting that the issues are alleged to be systemic and longstanding. The ART Hotel & Resort did not respond.
Source type: NGO
I’ve worked for Security Solutions Co WLL for two years as a security guard... I took a loan of BD350 to pay for the recruitment fees...
[Security Solutions] did not pay me for my labour during the months of October and November 2020. When I told my employer that my two-year contract was ending in December 2020 and that I wanted to go back home for vacation... the employer terminated my visa in December without settling my due wages and giving me end-of-service benefit.
The company even refused to provide me with an air ticket... the sponsor told our labour camp boss to remove me from their accommodation...
the company pays workers based on their nationality – Asian workers are always paid higher than Africans for the same work, the managers are also racist...
The African workers in the company don’t get a single day off. During the two years in which I worked with the company, I only got the day off when I got sick. We worked non-stop for 12 hours a day, sometimes our transportation came late and we ended up working 16 hours without overtime...
It was only when I went to the Ministry with a social worker that the authorities considered my complaints, but even when they registered my complaint, I never heard from them again...
As of today, I am still waiting for my return ticket and completely dependent on others for basic necessities.