Indian workers on H1B visas protest

[EVDebs]

Indian Men in US "Slave" Protest
BBC News
27 March 2008

http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/032808LB.shtml

""Almost 100 Indians who moved to the US for jobs have marched hundreds of miles to Washington, DC, in protest at being forced to work "like slaves." The Indian ambassador said he would do all he could to protect their rights.

The men say recruiters tricked them into paying up to $20,000 each for a new life in the US, where they then had to work in exploitative conditions. The Mississippi firm that employed them has denied they were mistreated. It claims the recruiters misled the men. The employer, Signal International, says the men were paid wages above the local average and given good accommodation. It accuses recruitment firm Global Resources of deceiving the Indians and has ended its contract. It has also demanded that the recruiters return the fees the men paid them.

Global Resources has in turn denied any wrongdoing, saying it recruited the workers to the terms of its agreement with Signal International and that the men's treatment since was down to the employer.""

The US Dept of Labor pretty much gives carte blanche to these abuses since bringing in the Indians in the first place wasn't supposed to "displace" US workers...but everybody knows this is the case.

[Robert Oak]

1. guest workers

Yeah, I guess there is a worker shortage in the United States.. for slaves.

[EVDebs]

2. There has to be criminal acts or breathtaking incompetence at DOL

In order for any of this to have taken place in the first place. The Bush Administration is the GONG SHOW !

[Robert Oak]

3. also

Have you noticed on many "immigrant advocacy" groups never mention the slave conditions going on through guest worker programs in the United States?

It's completely outrageous that nothing is done about outright slavery here in the US.

It also tells me I smell a little 'US Chamber of Commerce' behind some of these "advocacy groups" since slavery via guest worker Visas is never brought up as a major issue.

[LiberalEsto]

4. They can always go back

They have been taking away jobs for years from American computer professionals who have invested thousands of dollars on their educations and have been laid off and forced to take low-wage retail jobs.