'Migrant workers in ME often denied rights'

The report on labour rights violations around the world in 2005 has singled out the plight of migrant workers in the region for particular attention, according to the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU).

"In some sectors they make up 80 percent of the workforce, yet they are often denied a passport, blackmailed, and prevented from joining unions," Kurt Vannieuwenhuyse, head of union rights at the ICFTU, told AFP.

The body's report says migrant workers are "shamefully exploited in a number of countries," especially in Libya and Jordan, where unions are either entirely forbidden or subject to severe legal constraints.

In Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, "they make up the bulk of the workforce but are weak, vulnerable, mistreated and enjoy few or even no rights," the report continues.

In Jordan, "foreign workers cannot join a union, negotiate collectively or strike," the report notes.

From Kuwait, it cited the example of 60 Indian workers who were expelled from the country "for protesting against their miserable conditions and against payment delays".

Foreign workers in the United Arab Emirates have staged numerous strikes to protest against ill-treatment and non-payment of their salaries.

Around 130 construction workers there were "brutally attacked for striking" and "some migrant workers have not seen their salaries for as much as 16 months," according to ICFTU.

In Bahrain, "hopes that the government would take some positive measures to bring the country's legislation into line with international norms vanished into thin air" with new labour laws turning out to be "more restrictive".