You just can’t tell me that KBR didn’t have any idea this was going on. Too bad the media can’t get into the FOB’s and Camps to see how KBR’s subcontract employees (TCN’s) live.
Iraqi guards open fire as migrants riot about deportation
Times Online
December 3, 2008
Deborah Haynes, Baghdad
Iraqi guards opened fire above the heads of 1,000 migrant workers who staged a mini-riot today in protest at their poor treatment in Baghdad and the prospect of being sent home without pay.
The men, from Bangladesh, Nepal, India and Sri Lanka, will be flown to Dubai after the Kuwaiti company that hired them failed to secure enough contract work at dining facilities inside a number of US military bases across Iraq. Their passports have also been taken.
“People are getting shot at,” said Manoj Kodithuwakku, a 28-year-old from Sri Lanka, speaking to The Times by mobile phone. The crack of bullets could be heard in the background. “It is pandemonium in here,” he said.
The men were flown to Baghdad over the past three months to work for Najlaa International Catering Services, which is a subcontractor to Kellogg Brown and Root (KBR), a major service provider to the US Department of Defence. (To Continue Reading Click HERE)
KBR subcontractor denies confining workers in Iraq
BAGHDAD (AP) — A Kuwaiti subcontractor doing work for the U.S. military in Iraq denied a report Wednesday that it confined as many as 1,000 workers without money for up to three months in warehouses at the Baghdad airport.
Najlaa International Catering Services said the workers, from South Asia, were being well cared for at airport housing facilities while awaiting assignments at work sites.
“They are living in a decent environment, provided three meals a day, showers and latrine facilities,” Marwan Rezk, the general manager of Najlaa International Catering Services, said of the laborers.
Najlaa is a subcontractor to KBR Inc., the Texas firm that split off last year from Halliburton Co. (To Continue Reading Click HERE)
Where are the human rights organizations of the world?
Ms Sparky
KBR knows exactly what is going on with these underpaid, unappreciated, hard working TCN’s. Heck, most of the tcn’s I worked with at speicher, knew more about electrical, hvac, plumbing and administration than the regular workers for KBR, excuse me, SEII. It is a shame for our country to allow a DOD Contracting company to ignore these situations and one reason most of the world doesn’t respect the U.S. or trust what it’s leaders say. The rest of the world see’s America as a bully and that is just not right.
Most of the American workers where I was at, at least treated the tcn’s humainly and help them out when they could as long as kbr didn’t know about that is. Just my opinion, I love my country and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else but what is allowed to happen to other people in Iraq who are trying to make a living for their families, is wrong.
Ms Sparky’s Response:
I agree. And the fact that the KBR management just turned a blind eye makes them no better than the slave brokers!
it is a joke how they are treated
some of the are damn hard workers
i do not support how they are treated
one issue is there pay they are not paid the same some are paide more for instance
SCW that know there trade get paid less
than SCW that have to be trained
they don’t even have the proper amount of showers in there camp some won’t take showers for the long lines which is a health and saftey issue
KBR dose rotate the SCW contract Anaconda
O&M uses KULAK not PPI
Ms Sparky’s Response:
It’s criminal. It’s time for the United Nations to get involved.
two words Bull Sh***
Ms Sparky’s Response:
Yep
Human Time Bomb from Baghdad – Needs the attention of Kuwaiti Authorities
Directors and Management of Baghdad Camps in Iraq- KBR is denying that they are not aware of thousand of workers arriving for work in Baghdad through their sub – contractor for catering services to service the Military Service Personnel through namely M/s. Najlaa International Catering Services in Kuwait in Iraq who has been awarded many camps for catering services cannot be accepted fact, the true story is herewith highlited.
M/s. Najlaa International Catering Services promised employment in Iraq for catering staff and recruited many nationals including Sri Lankan Workers via Dubai- United Arab Emirates. These workers have incurred their travelling expenses, including air tickets, KBR medical fitness examination, visa cost from Colombo to Dubai and thereafter to Baghdad for arrival visa. But all these expenses are met by these workers through their recruiting agents recruited to Najlaa International Catering Services, there are evidence to prove that moneys transferred to this company for visa processing to these workers to arrive in Dubai and Baghdad., Also, mostly made used of an airline “ Jupiter Airways”, “Al Jazeera airways” to charter aircrafts from the companies to carry passengers at the expenses by the recruiting agents on behalf of recruits processed for employment by Najlaa Catering -Management Staff visiting these destinations – India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. These delegates were provided with first class hotel accommodations, tickets and various facilities to obtain placement orders for placement of workers.
Now, it has been reported that Ms/ Najlaa Catering is thriving themselves to put the blame on the Recruiting Agents and Middlemen without having to spent a penny on these workers to bring them from their destination to Iraq.
It is time to the company KBR to take appropriate action to provide employment or repatriate them with sufficient compensation including their onward expenses, and return expenses and three months salary and some compensation for loss of their career in their home Country. Otherwise, the Government of United States and KBR will be accused of human trafficking in connivance with M/s. Najlaa Catering for their own benefit violating ethical conduct and norms accepted in the World Forum.
An immediate and joint action is required from the management and the board of directors of Iraq management of these camps to resolve the matter with M/s. Najlaa to provide placement or sufficiently compensate and peacefully send these workers back to Sri Lanka or their destination. It is understood that M/s. Najlaa International Catering Services has been paid for these expenses by KBR and the Management of M/s. Najlaa has swallowed the entire amount and trying to blame the recruiting agents or the middlemen, whom will at the receiving ends to cushion these bureaucrats.
Now the World is watching this issue – how these issues will be taken up by KBR and M/s. Najlaa and the Government of United States. This is matter to be debated at the United Nations to expose the racket, if no compensation package is granted to these workers who has arrived willingly and readily to serve and services the Military Personnel in the war torn Country sacrificing their families at their destination.
KBR RISE UP FOR ACTION – PLEASE DO NOT HAVE THE POOR WORKERS DESTINED TO M/S.NAJLAA CATERING MANAGEMENT’S HAND FOR DEPORTATION WITHOUT SUFFICIANET COMPENSATION FOR MISTAKE DONE BY THIS CATERING SERVICES.
Ms Sparky’s Response:
I’m not sure what to say here. Other than I am so sorry that you and your friends have been allowed to be exploited by the US Government by companies like KBR. I will forward this information to my Government contacts. Keep reading and keep me informed of what is going on.
Let me know if you need their location in Kuwait…I know who the Owners are…they’re on my mobile phone as we speak! I’ve known Najlaa Catering since they first became KBR’s own subcontractor providing DFAC services in Kuwait HQ. They went through ups and downs just like any other subcontractor but mostly ran their business by whatever KBR said or insisted to happen. The fact is, if they were led the wrong way in the beginning, and all they’ve known is to do things a certain way, I fully understand why this company has been operating in this manner, although this should not be an excuse either. If we hold Najlaa responsible for mis-management and poor performance, there is no way that you can discount that KBR had no influence on Najlaa’s modus operandi from back in early 2003 to where they are now. Here’s what I always point across as part of the ethics class I teach….”while individuals come to an organization with a set of values developed over time, the most influential factor affecting their ethical behavior after they arrive is THE WAY THEY ARE LED!”……
By Dr. Owen Gadeken.
With this mentality and this understanding, we also have to hold the U.S. Army responsible for a lot of the things that are going wrong with the contracting business with DOD. Despite all the reports and suggested corrective actions from IG investigations, DOD Investigations, and all other special investigations; unless the Army makes a significant change in their organization and how they manage and administer their acquisition and contracting business, problems will never be solved. And yes I said never. Without a systemic change, without first changing the culture and the value of what contracts and contracting management is, everything affected by it will inevitably be questionable and will be below-standards. We are in a business that is now on a tipping-point which requires extraordinary actions, be it KBR, CSA, DynCorp, Flour, ITT and other players; what these companies are doing are in reality, superficial actions no matter how thoughtful or thorough their corrective actions may be. Let’s get back to the basics and get back to the root of things, the organization that first awards the contracts, and unfortunately, it is no other than the U.S. Army.