eshda3wa

February 20, 2008

Who Fights For The Weak?




With all the talk going on about inflation, and if the government is going to give us a salary raise which in turn will cause more inflation and so on..
Between discussion about the price of eggs and KDD I couldn't help but wonder what about the less fortunate workers?

The garbage men, the petrol station guys, the maids and drivers. The people who get paid very little to begin with. Shouldn't they get a salary raise too? With the prices increasing shouldn't they be compensated?

Who fights for them? Where do they go? And how can this problem be solved?

I discussed this issue with a few people, I will write their views after I hear yours.
posted by eshda3wa at 12:20 AM

35 Comments:

Don't get me started. i just posted sumthin similar.. cuz im getting really pissed!!

February 20, 2008 at 1:03 AM  

I was a bit disappointed when I read Alseyassah today and the talks that doctors wont have a good "kadar" but after reading this post I feel ashamed:s

February 20, 2008 at 1:13 AM  

Noone.
Theyre always forgotten.

Kuwait pays millions in aid for the unfortunate all around the world, but when it comes to those living Kuwait, they dont even acknowledge their existence.

February 20, 2008 at 1:25 AM  

Ya, that is sad. Something shud be done about that. 7aram wala..

It's not fair for them.

February 20, 2008 at 3:16 AM  

Maids are not really affected by inflation as food, accommodation, and basic commodities are usually provided by their employer.

Stupid question: Doesn't everyone, including drivers and garbage men, automatically get a salary rise? Does the government apply some sort of occupation discrimination?

February 20, 2008 at 4:31 AM  

Too many posts on the topic already.

I have put up one too.

The thing is.. it would really be nice if the government would hand over some increments to the non-kuwaitis too..

but .. if the government doesn't, what the hell. Shit happens. How and why should one make demands on a government that we never can or will choose.

I believe the government is trying to take care of it's citizens first, and that itself is proving to be a tough task.

How many governments do you know (from other countries) that actually bother about their citizens to such levels..

Writing off loans, pay increase, employment generation.. bla bla bla.

Well every economy has its limits. Every government has its limits and agenda.

If it is no longer economically viable, then the non-kuwaitis will look for other jobs or perhaps other countries. where they can get a better opportunity.

If they find one, they will leave.

If the services that they are rendering and their contribution is really important, then the employers will pay them more to retain their services.

Hopefully that is how this is supposed to work.

February 20, 2008 at 6:02 AM  

allah yarzeghom mesakeen :/

February 20, 2008 at 7:10 AM  

allah yarzeghom mesakeen :/

February 20, 2008 at 7:11 AM  

This case goes across the board, they want cleaners but they aren't willing to pay for them, this starts at the government level. Whenever they have these tenders they always push for the lowest bidder, so the bidder themselves pushes the bad to the minimum to get these contracts. Unless something can be done about these very large government contracts and the bidding process changes, I'm afraid nothing will happen in reality. Its a vicious circle, but its the way our government operates, it should be changed to affect everything else, they should put a minimum salary and things will change from there. At some points some of these companies have prisoner exchange programs with certain countries so they get them at an even lower price, I'm telling you if you knew all that they it would shock you, and this is something the government is allowing them to do.

February 20, 2008 at 7:12 AM  

i was touched by this post.. everyone i know seems to be so stuck in their own bubble they never think of the less fortunate.. the prob might be solved if ppl were less selfish and greedy. retailers = greedy and wanna cash in on ppl's increased salaries so they raise prices. ppl = selfish and dont think of others, like raising their maid's allowance or pay the driver a little more coz they have extra income now..

is there a chance of say a fund at the ministry of labour where ppl can pool in some money into that fund to be distributed to the minimum waged workers in q8 at the end of each quarter or even end of every month? that wud be a gr8 idea if implemented..

February 20, 2008 at 8:22 AM  

thanx for raising this issue..the mentality in kuwait has always been "these ppl had nothing back home o now they're making a living" we need to raise awareness towards these workers who make next to nothing while we're concerned about our next raise

February 20, 2008 at 8:49 AM  

Good for you, eshda3wa, valid point. We complain about the prices going up and we forget that they hurt the poorest of the poor far more than they hurt us.

February 20, 2008 at 9:00 AM  

Well, as far as residential maids and drivers etc, you have to remember that they don't pay for food/board anyway. The house owner takes care of that. They simply send the main portion of their salaries abroad to their families to build a house or whatever. That's if the maid was smart, but if she wasn't, some of them do squander their little salaries on secondary stuff like a mobile and gets into a romance with her friday boyfriend etc. human nature what can you do.

I don't think its unfair. they come to Kuwait not only choosing, but desperately dying to come. The real vampires in this are the slave-trader middle-men who take their money in order to take their papers to Kuwaiti offices to be considered.

Mo illa 5adam, we should learn to go get our own glass of water from the kitchen if we think we pay them too little and it becomes prohibitively expensive to get maids anymore.

The real problem is elsewhere, the workers who are brought for big cleaning companies or logistics etc, these guys are the worst off, because they're being handled "wholesale", no decent house family that takes care of him/her and makes sure their fed or paid.

In other words, the individual maids/drivers get much more attention or "empathy" from their employers, than these company janitors. they sometimes go a few months without pay.

I wonder how effective are the existing controls to keep these violations in check. Does anyone know? I'm very curious.

February 20, 2008 at 9:20 AM  

i agree and i commented about that b4 in someones post about salaries increase.....and if u look at it in a broader prespective it is unfair for a lot of ppl living in this inflation....the poor ppl..the manual workers in small companys...the ppl who dont have work for some reasons..old ppl...etc

but thats life...its not fair....but i think ppl who got the increase should donate more and give to the poor here to help with the balance of things.

February 20, 2008 at 10:39 AM  

Obviously everyone who has a servant should start paying more, it’s up for the citizens now... and I am sure the people who clean will have some sort of salary increase, I hope.

February 20, 2008 at 10:53 AM  

they suck at helping themselves i find it hard to expect them to be able to help others

February 20, 2008 at 12:21 PM  

There should be a minimum wage, and this minimum wage should be increased according to the inflation rate.

Unlike any other salary people on the minimum wage should have pay raise automatically with no need to negotiate>

Thanks for raising this issue.

February 20, 2008 at 12:34 PM  

Then what do you say about the poor bedons? Some of them are suffering because of our government and parliament members keep ignoring them!
Someone should do something for them before event thinking of raising the wages

February 20, 2008 at 1:29 PM  

ge6awee
ill be sure to read it!

hasan.b
dont feel ashamed\ma7ad mathloom eb hal deerah ghair el3omal wel drs!!

DR
sad but unfortunatly true

shoush
allah y3eenhum

beautiful stranger
I agree with u on the maid issue.
The question mite be stupid, and the answer obvious, but dosent change the fact that something should be done

lord raj
sure our government takes good care of us when u compare us to the rest of the world, but our country could do alot more for us!

Something has to be done about the minimum wage period, its inhumane!

soul
allah yarzeg eljamee3

marzouq
I want to know more, I want to stand up and fight this inhumane process. I need to know where to start!

proud
if there was ever a fund, nothing will reach the workers :)

fashionated
that mentality has to change

falantan
i agree with u to a certain degree, true the maids are not effected by the inflation, but that dosent change the fact they are still getting paid way too little.
the whole sale workers as u called them are just trajic. 30 kd IF they get paid.
as for your question, they are not effective cause no one gives a damn.

Pink
thats not life, thats the mean spritited money leachers who make it unfair!

skinny bumblebee
u hope, but it aint happening. Its not so much the maids, they are already taken care of. bs hal 3omal elmesakeeen!!

do0da
sa7

salah
The question is how much should the minimum wage be?
10? 20?
allah y3eenhum.

February 20, 2008 at 1:49 PM  

heard they'll be raise for everyone

February 20, 2008 at 3:48 PM  

Eshda3wa-
I am with you walla! 3ad I was thinking about this last night! mesakeen sij sij ma3indohom a7ad and they live in !*#^#!*#^ places and its just sad.... sad sad sad!

February 20, 2008 at 3:49 PM  

Survival of the fittest:)

February 20, 2008 at 4:00 PM  

Eshda3wa:

This is should be based on a study of the living cost in Kuwait. You can't guess it>

February 20, 2008 at 4:41 PM  

linus
the bedoon is a totally different issue
allah y3een eljamee3

pearls
everyone does not include the unfortunate

ansam
shay y3awer elgalb

amethyst
we shouldnt live by rules of the jungle

February 20, 2008 at 4:53 PM  

well i really hope they would help them somehow .. its really unfair ..

February 20, 2008 at 10:17 PM  

Oh no no nooo. I didn't mean that your question is stupid. I meant that I have a stupid question. I'm still waiting for your "obvious" answer ;P

February 21, 2008 at 1:37 AM  

very important topic sister


I have mentioned the same subject regard the el7'adam 'slaves' as well

February 21, 2008 at 2:11 AM  

nonowa
were thinking about them!
that should count for something!

navy girl
allah ykoon eb 3oonhum!

Beautiful stranger
oh i know u didn't mean to imply that sweetheart!
and the answer
OF COURSE!their middle name is discrimination

February 21, 2008 at 2:22 AM  

Interesting... I didn't actually think of this!

It is of course only fair they get a raise too.. but as far as the person who will offer it is concerned, I don't think lots of people are quite as generous as they'd like to believe

February 21, 2008 at 7:13 AM  

Eshda3wa,

Things r even worse hinee fe OMAN, from the beginning there were 2 levels of communities (the rich and the poor) now and after the government sent the prices of EVERY damn thing high it went 4 (the wealthy rich and the DEAD in debts)

How pity,…

February 21, 2008 at 8:29 AM  

I guess that happens all over GCC, all the nationals get so much benefits while the other nationalities work their asses off and get nothing.

February 21, 2008 at 11:47 AM  

It's really sad wallah..there are some workers "farasheen" and porters where I work..they get 20 kd per month and they usually get every few months together .. It's really sad .. some of them are sick and need treatment besides other human needs and having to look after their families. allah ye3enhom wallah

February 21, 2008 at 2:42 PM  

I know that WE are thinking abt them- but what can we do to make a real change? I wish there was something in our power.....

February 21, 2008 at 6:56 PM  

It's really not fair... only non-kuwaiti's working in government sectors get a raise of 50KD... they should do it for private sectors too because that is where the majority of non-kuwaitis work...
It's not fair... and those workers in the streets barely get paid for what they do... and now they raised the price of bread, milk, egg... 7aram.. what are they going to do now...?

February 21, 2008 at 10:15 PM  

Charity starts at home. How many (and I don't really have a "home") of us are going to give these people raises?

Let's work within our "circle of influence" for the time being, then demand change outside.

Btw, the raise is only going to usher in even higher prices, so those who consider it a small victory need to rethink it.

February 21, 2008 at 11:14 PM  

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