Bangladeshi workers of some cleaning conj^anjes, |i}- Jiave । alleged that- they, are being-compelled to pay their health insurance ■ fees, which is a violation of job contract.

The workers made the complaints to an official of Bangladesh embassy in the Gulf country, according to a report published in the Arab Times, a Kuwaiti newspaper, yesterday.

The workers also complained that supervisors of some cleaning companies falsely implicated several innocent workers in violent demonstrations and had them arrested and that they are now fearing more arrests, the official quoted the workers as saying.

The allegations surfaced as Kuwait set a minimum wage of Kuwaiti Dinar 40 without any deduction for foreign workers doing menial jobs on August 4 following a series of strikes by Bangladeshi workers. The Kuwaiti government also warned that companies which

fail to honour the new minimum wage rules will be prosecuted.

In their complaint, the workers of a jBMhpanysaid that abpqt eight pf their folleagues were attested after thSF company infptjl^P the autbon®®1 that they were involved in the labour unrest, die embassy official said.

"The workers say their arrested colleagues have nothing to do with the incidents and as such they should be freed. They also said that some workers were picked up from their workplace," he added.

The official reiterated that Kuwaiti authorities have assured the embassy of not deporting any innocent workers.

With the latest arrival of six workers yesterday, Kuwait deported 824 workers on charges of participating or instigating strikes over pay hike and other demands.

"We have sought assistance of the Labour Department to resolve the grievances of the workers. We want an amicable solution," the official said, adding that the embassy will send its representatives to the labour camps in the next

few days to ensure that the cleaning companies comply with Kuwait's minimum wage rule.

b MeanWhile, FOreigrTTAd^er “iftekhar Aftme^ Cbow^GuMxm ’Wednesday bight had a tdepifotuc conversation with Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Dr Mohammed Sabah al-Salem al Sabah on Bangladeshi workers issues, said a foreign ministry release yesterday.

Earlier on Wednesday, Chowdhury in a letter requested Kuwait's Interior Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Khalid Al-JaberAl-Sabah to conduct an investigation into the workers' strikes, and said that many workers were being mercilessly deported to Bangladesh empty-handed for the fault of a few.

The press release said Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister assured the foreign adviser that peace-loving and hardworking Bangladeshi workers will not suffer because of faults of a few.

Dr Mohammad Sabah, also Kuwait's foreign minister, said he would invite the foreign adviser for a visit to Kuwait in a convenient time.

It was learned that Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury is likely to visit Kuwait soon, even it may be sometime this month, the release said.

Dr Iftekhar thanked the Kuwaiti Deputy' Prime Minister for his personal initiative to solve workers' problems and setting a minimum wage for foreign workers.