Prosecute Signal and recruiters, asked workers

Hundreds of workers who revolted against the Signal International in Mississippi have alleged that recruiters worked together with the employers to control the workers with a “A broad scheme of psychological coercion, threats of serious harm and physical restraint, and threatened abuse of the legal process.”

They filed a complaint in a district court in New Orleans against recruiters S Mansur and Company and Dewan Consultants along with Signal as defendants and indicted them of human trafficking. The defendants were accused of violating several laws including Trafficking Victims Protection Act by having both forced labour and trafficking, violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations Act, the Civil Rights Act of 1866, the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, fraud, breach of contract, violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and false imprisonment, assault and batter and infliction of emotional harm.

Indian government in further developments has suspended the licenses of Mumbai based recruiters. The recruiters signed up Indian workers for Signal International, a marine fabrication company after taking $15,000 for visa from each of the workers mainly pipe fitters , welders from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and other.

The Ministry of Overseas Affair has issued show cause notices to both the firms asking why action should not be taken against them for charging money and enticing them with the promise of green cards.

Also the ministry is inquiring if there were any inconsistencies in the recruitment done by the two agents listed by the workers and is in touch with Indian Ambassador in the US, Ronen Sen to further delve into the allegation made by the workers.

The exploited workers voiced together and have sought guidance of local rights activists including Saket Soni and Stephan Boykewich. They have demanded to prosecute Signal by US governments as well as the recruiters by Indian governments and bring to an end to this international trafficking ring immediately.

Allegedly the recruiters through advertisement in local newspapers lured the workers with promises of permanent residency in US and handsome payment but instead these workers found themselves entrapped in the false promises and end up working as contract labourers in unhealthy work environment and living conditions.

These workers were taken on H2B visa which allows foreign nationals to enter into the U.S. temporarily and engage in nonagricultural employment.

These workers were taken when there was shortage of labourers after Hurricane Katrina killed many of the workers at Gulf Coast in the year 2005.

Earlier the workers on March 6 revolted against the Signal and alleged that they were living like pigs in a cage in work camps of Signal International in Pascagoula, Mississippi.