Exploitation of employee or blackmail of employer? (Khobragade case)

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_Angie_

@_Angie_

Rocker

Posted: 11 years ago

#81

Originally posted by: return_to_hades

USA didn't retaliate, threaten or change prior diplomatic arrangements with Pakistan.

India also knows very well that consular employees are not covered. That is why they transferred her to a different position. They are right in using diplomatic immunity to get Devyani off the hook. However, they are wrong in retaliating, threatening, and continuing to accuse US of wrong doing.

You could go through a link I posted a page or two back about tit for tat policy followed by US on several occasions.

Edited by _Angie_ - 11 years ago

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return_to_hades

@return_to_hades

Stunner

+ 6

Posted: 11 years ago

#82

Originally posted by: souro

And Sangeeta and poor and downtrodden? That's something that the Western media has invented. Her own salary, of ~$550 per month with free fooding, lodging, medical care, air fare, family support given back in India by govt., etc. she earns more and gets more perks than many fresh graduates, engineers and MBAs. Add to that the income of the other family members and you have a pretty high monthly household income by Indian standards. It's just her job profile that makes it sound like she is poor and downtrodden.

I think you are seeing things based on purely "Indian" standards on a life in India basis. If this was within India, it would be a whole different story. $550/mo plus all these perks would be a killing even in the biggest metropolitan cities. However, even with free food, lodging and medical care, $550.00/mo in NY is akin to slave labor. It is insufficient. It leaves the employee bonded to the employer. The employee is limited to do anything recreationally or personally for themselves. People ought to be able to live, not just survive.

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_Angie_

@_Angie_

Rocker

Posted: 11 years ago

#83

Just asking- how many such "exploited" workers are being offered asylum in the US? I can see a big queue in waiting. Any caps there?

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souro

@souro

Alumni

+ 2

Posted: 11 years ago

#84

Originally posted by: charminggenie
Preet's latest statement is amusing, specially when Kerry has expressed regret about the treatment handed to the diplomat. According to him sneaking in a coffee to the diplomat was a show of respect - what about strip search , Mr Attorney?
I am loving how Salman Khursid responded -" why should GOI respondto a US attorney's statement , we will go by what Kerry has expressed. I don't think US govt would ever resond to an Indian attorney".

Indian govt. has now reacted to Preet Bharara's statement. Pretty much castigated him for his remarks.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/news/Devyani-the-only-victim-in-this-case-India-rebuts-Bharara/videoshow/27655379.cms

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souro

@souro

Alumni

+ 2

Posted: 11 years ago

#85

Originally posted by: return_to_hades

I think you are seeing things based on purely "Indian" standards on a life in India basis. If this was within India, it would be a whole different story. $550/mo plus all these perks would be a killing even in the biggest metropolitan cities. However, even with free food, lodging and medical care, $550.00/mo in NY is akin to slave labor. It is insufficient. It leaves the employee bonded to the employer. The employee is limited to do anything recreationally or personally for themselves. People ought to be able to live, not just survive.

And I think US simply ignored the ground reality that there is a huge wage disparity between US and India. Given that both are Indian nationals, their wages are going to be lower than US standard, that's common sense.

And do you mean to tell me, that the minimum wage workers in US save more than $550 per month after covering basic and not so basic expenses to splurge on recreation and entertainment?

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return_to_hades

@return_to_hades

Stunner

+ 6

Posted: 11 years ago

#86

Originally posted by: _Angie_
Just asking- how many such "exploited" workers are being offered asylum in the US? I can see a big queue in waiting. Any caps there?

It all depends. This is a widespread issue. You cannot save everybody but you can try to.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/19/21955471-diplomats-exploitation-of-domestic-workers-a-plague-activists-say?lite

To be fair, it would be interesting to see how USA handles or the other cases. It is not always easy to prosecute because you have to file charges, gather evidence and then get arrest warrants. Judges do hesitate to give arrest warrants against foreign officials unless the case is airtight.

In this case substantial evidence was gathered

http://www.justice.gov/usao/nys/pressreleases/December13/KhobragadeArrestPR/Khobragade,%20Devyani%20Complaint.pdf

The worst form of abuse though is adoption fraud - where people adopt African or Asian children - but keep them as slaves instead. There have been busts across the country about it and rich affluent people imprisoned.

If the Diplomat would have been from any other country than India, Indians would have said kudos to USA for human rights.

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souro

@souro

Alumni

+ 2

Posted: 11 years ago

#87

Originally posted by: K.Universe.

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@K.Universe.

Voyager

Posted: 11 years ago

#88

Originally posted by: _Angie_
Just asking- how many such "exploited" workers are being offered asylum in the US? I can see a big queue in waiting. Any caps there?

Don't know how many of the 11,939 individuals granted asylum last year were exploited workers but US provides asylum to thousands of persecuted individuals from different parts of the world every year.

http://trac.syr.edu/immigration/reports/306/

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souro

@souro

Alumni

+ 2

Posted: 11 years ago

#89

Originally posted by: return_to_hades

If the Diplomat would have been from any other country than India, Indians would have said kudos to USA for human rights.

You are assuming that it would've been such. But it may not have been that way.
If Devyani Khobragade was earning $20,000/ month, even I'd have said she should have paid her housekeeper according to US norms. But she earns $4000 or so per month and can't afford to pay that much. She didn't hire a local maid and then paid her according to Indian standard. She was paying another Indian national who went from India specifically to work for her and who was getting significantly more money by Indian standard and whose all other costs were being taken care of by either Ms.Khobragade or GOI.

Edited by souro - 11 years ago

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return_to_hades

@return_to_hades

Stunner

+ 6

Posted: 11 years ago

#90

Originally posted by: souro

You are assuming that it would've been such. But it may not have been that way.
If Devyani Khobragade was earning $20,000/ month, even I'd have said she should have paid her housekeeper according to US norms. But she earns $4000 or so per month and can't afford to pay that much. She didn't hire a local maid and then paid her according to Indian standard. She was paying another Indian national who went from India specifically to work for her and who was getting significantly more money by Indian standard and whose all other costs were being taken care of by either Ms.Khobragade or GOI.

Only the super rich earn $20,00 a month.

$4,000/mo is the average salary even most US FSO's earn. Maybe not $4500, maybe not even NY minimum wage of $9.00/hr, maybe not even national minimum wage of $7.25/hr. She could have at least afforded the minimum tipped employee wage of $5.25/hr. And she needn't have obtained a fraudulent visa and just hired a local maid. Tons of people make less than Devyani and still manage to get child care and home help without exploitation.

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Exploitation of employee or blackmail of employer? (Khobragade case) - Page 9

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