This special issue focuses on the relationship between labour and space in Kuwait. In this small, oil-rich country where there are approximately 2.2 foreign workers for every one Kuwaiti national, how does the majority labouring population live in a City-State where they are here to serve but not be seen.
How to LABOUR better
the sweetest taboo
Weathered ads in Hindi and Arabic for taxi and satellite dish services at an informal worker housing complex in downtown Kuwait City (Young 2013).
interview with the labour ataches of the indian embassy, kuwait Q What are common problems that Indian workers face in Kuwait?
A nanny awaits her teenage charge outside of a mall store. It is not uncommon for Kuwaiti young adults to be accompanied by their childhood caretakers (Young 2013).
INTRODUCTION Kuwait is the 5th richest country in the world, where its 1.3 million nationals enjoy a per capita income of $81,800. At 1.1 million, Indian nationals comprise the largest ex-pat group in Kuwait. The Indian Embassy recommends the minimum annual salary for a maid at $2,520 and for more skilled professionals, such as architects, $16,824. Extreme income disparity between locals and foreigners precludes social and economic integration. Low-wage workers live in worlds apart. Rooted in a system called ‘kafala,’ conditions for workers have been likened to modern slavery and neo-feudalism. Originating in a Bedouin principle of hospitality, the kafala evolved in the 1960s into strict national laws that require all foreign workers to secure a sponsor (kafeel) who offers them an exclusive work contract that can be renewed every two years. While Kuwait national labour laws stipulate the terms of the contract, guaranteeing a minimum wage, set number of working hours, one day off per week, an annual trip back to the worker’s home country, a pre-paid mobile phone, and free room and board, there is no way for contracts to be enforced. The kafeel decides whether a worker may change employers, and has the right to report the worker to Kuwaiti immigration to cancel a worker’s residency permit or request deportation at any time. Without a kafal, workers are restricted from accessing public services and leaving the country. But without these workers, how would Kuwaitis manage anything from making dinner to refining oil?
A Physical abuse, mental harassment, unpaid salary, and working up to 18 to 24 hours a day.
Q How can the Embassy to address these grievances? A When workers call us to complain, we call the sponsor and ask them to come to the Embassy. Normally they don’t respond. Since passports are kept by the sponsors, the worker cannot go back to India. Legally they are not allowed to keep the passport - but this is the practice in Kuwait. If the worker runs away, the sponsor files a police case and the worker comes to us for help. Our Embassy will issue new travel documents if a sponsor refuses to give them over. Q So deportation is the only remedy? Are you doing something to improve the situation?
A
We have a database of around 3,000 families who can no longer hire domestic workers from India because of past abuses. But there have been no legal reforms. There are no rights for domestic workers. [Labour laws do not apply to domestic workers.] Workers in the private sector have some rights. We visit labour camps on the invitation of the company when they invite us - not by surprise. We check the kitchen, washrooms, AC and that it’s not too crowded. We also phone the workers directly to check in.
Q Has the Embassy ever demanded more worker rights from the Kuwaiti Government?
A In 1999, we blocked workers from coming in protest
of bad cases of harassment and abuse. But it was of no use. If there is demand, they will come through other countries.
one at a time
Betta is a quarterly print publication investigating urban spaces one question at a time. Produced by Christina Kral and Adriana Valdez Young. This issue was made with support from a fellowship from the India China Institute and research guidance from architect Sharifa Alshalfan.
Troubling data on housing and health are also treated topically. Even though international agencies such as the ILO and UN-Habitat have conducted surveys of foreign workers, labour conditions, and informal settlements, data is not publicly released. A UN-Habitat officer defended the cover up: ‘[The government] doesn’t want to embarrass itself, so we don’t publish our materials. We don’t publish cancer rates either. It’s very high in Kuwait, but we don’t want people to worry.’ 31% Kuwaitis
4% Illegal
32% Domestic 66% Private
68% Foreigners
[1] Of Kuwait’s 3.6 million residents, 1.3 million are Kuwaiti nationals and 2.3 million are ex-pat workers (International Office of Migration 2010).
[2] Breakdown by sector of Kuwait’s foreign worker population (Human Rights Watch 2010).
10
# of Dunkin Donuts opened in Kuwait since 2004
1
# of reforms since 1959 to labour laws affecting foreign workers
6/6
Gulf Countries use the kafala system
6/6
Gulf Countries rank in the top ten globally for highest rates of Diabetes
$7
Minimum daily wage of foreign domestic worker
$21
Minimum daily wage of Kuwaiti national
$3
Cost of two donuts and one regular coffee at Dunkin Donuts in Kuwait
1/2.5 days
Speculative plan for a floating extension of Kuwait City (Studies in Architecture and Planning: Architecture in Kuwait 1987).
Frequency that migrant workers attempt or commit suicide
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What follows are snapshots from conversations, site visits and TV shows of working life in Kuwait.
betta.
Excess foreigners. Excess weight. Both can cause public embarrassment. To rebalance the local and foreign populations, the Labour Ministry of Kuwait recently decided to reduce the foreign worker population by 100,000 every year for the next ten years. To do this, it launched a campaign of forced deportations, along with a program entitled Kuwaitization, which compels private companies to hire a quota of Kuwait nationals. Enticing Kuwaitis to work has been so challenging that companies simply add names of Kuwaitis to the payroll to avoid government fines, but scrap any hope that those citizens will show up to work.
[Sources] Dunkindonutskuwait.com, Dasman Diabetes Institute 2013, Indian Embassy in Kuwait 2013, Human Rights Watch 2010, Migrant Rights 2013, Forex News 2013 and Arab Times 2013.
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Worker Housing Typologies. [1] Government-built residential complex constructed in the 1960s - an experiment in high-density residences in downtown Kuwait City - originally intended to house Kuwaiti widows and currently home to foreign workers. [2] Newly constructed private residencies in Kuwait City with built-in quarters for domestic servants. [3] An illegally constructed, mixed-use factory/residence in the Jleeb Al-Shoukh neighborhood of Kuwait City. [4] Newly constructed, unoccupied, government-built gated city to house 10,000 foreign male workers in Subhan. [5] The recreation center (featuring televisions and table tennis) for workers at a Kharafi National Labour Camp in Sulabiya. (All images author, 2013)
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‘living here is hassle free. workers don’t bother about visas, civil ids, clothing, washing, food - they just work.’ - General Manager of a Kharafi National Labour Camp in Sulabiya, home to 3,000 workers
Workers of the World. [1] Kim Kardashian visits Kuwait for a paid appearance at the opening of the Millions of Milkshakes store at Avenues Mall (kimkardhashian.celebuzz.com 2012). [2] Mall security guard at Avenues Mall of Beduon origin (term for those deemed without papers or stateless descendants of tribal Arabs); unlike Kuwaiti nationals Beduons are not granted rights to education, housing, healthcare or jobs and live in remote camps, yet they are desirable candidates in authoritative roles - such as security - that call for a ‘Kuwaiti appearance’ (author 2013). [3 & 6] Model workers at Kidzania, an indoor theme park at Avenues Mall Kuwait where children play at work - taking on roles such as fast food cooks, runway models, supermarket clerks, pilots, police and more (Kidzania.com 2013). [4] Still from ‘Put Yourself in Her Shoes,’ an ad campaign by Human Rights Watch featuring prominent Kuwaiti women dressed as domestic workers (hrw.org 2010). [5] An Indian oil field worker returns from his shift to the Kharafi National labour camp in the dessert area of Sulabiya (author 2013). [7] Video still from the reality TV series ‘I Wish,’ featuring a ‘Project Runway’ spin-off in which aspiring fashion designers compete to create the best clothing. In this case, they have the sartorial assistance of Indian tailors rather than rely on their own production skills (iwish.kuwait.tt. 2013). [8] Egyptian steel workers relaxing after a day’s work at a government-run labour camp in the desert area of Jahra, where they have lived for the past 20 years (author 2013).