Employees at prominent US and UK brands, such as McDonald’s and Amazon, working for their Middle Eastern subsidiaries, have alleged labor law violations, including low wages and harsh working conditions. These revelations were brought to light in an investigative report by The Guardian.
The Guardian’s report featured interviews with nearly 100 migrant workers from Asia who shared their experiences of oppressive labor practices while working at Persian Gulf locations of four well-known brands: McDonald’s, Amazon, Chuck E Cheese, and the InterContinental Hotels.
These interviews were conducted as part of the “Trafficking Inc” investigation, a collaborative effort involving The Guardian US, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), NBC News, Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism, and other media partners.
The report exposed the grueling and unbearable working conditions endured by these workers. Macrae Lee and Buddhiman Sunar, both migrant laborers from Asia, recounted their experiences while working at McDonald’s locations operated by Riyadh International Catering Corp (RICC), owned by a prince.
Lee, who hails from the Philippines, revealed that RICC’s store managers routinely required him to work up to 22 hours a day and subjected him to hundreds of hours of unpaid overtime. Even when he fell ill, he was denied the days off he desperately needed for rest and recovery. When he attempted to resign, a manager withheld paperwork essential for him to secure employment with a different employer. This left Lee without a job and reduced to begging for food and water on the streets.
The report sheds light on the dire circumstances faced by numerous workers and their struggle against exploitation, inadequate wages, and labor rights violations by major international corporations operating in the Middle East.
Post Your Comments