Exploited Indian workers in US awarded $14 million

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Washington, Feb 20: After seven long years, five Indian 'guest' or temporary workers who were allegedly defrauded and exploited in a labour trafficking scheme have won $14 million in compensatory and punitive damages by a US court.

The workers were allegedly exploited by Signal International, an immigration lawyer and an Indian labour recruiter who lured hundreds of workers to a Mississippi shipyard with false promises of permanent US residency.

According to SPLC, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Signal used the US government's H-2B guest worker programme to import nearly 500 men from India to work as welders, pipefitters and in other positions to repair damaged oil rigs and related facilities.

The workers each paid the labour recruiters and a lawyer between $10,000 and $20,000 or more in recruitment fees and other costs after recruiters promised good jobs, green cards and permanent US residency for them and their families.

Most sold property or plunged their families deeply into debt to pay the fees.

When the men arrived at Signal shipyards in Pascagoula, Mississippi, beginning in 2006, they discovered that they wouldn't receive the green cards or permanent residency that had been promised.

Signal also forced them each to pay $1,050 a month to live in isolated, guarded labour camps where as many as 24 men shared a space the size of a double-wide trailer.

Read more at: http://www.oneindia.com/international/exploited-indian-workers-in-us-awarded-14-million-1659812.html

Terrible and just wrong!

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

The defenders of the job creators will be around shortly to lament the injustice of the judgement.

[LibCampFireClub 635]

Abolish Welding!

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

The defenders of the job creators will be around shortly to lament the injustice of the judgement.

Well, they could have exploited American workers instead. That would have been patriotic.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Well, they could have exploited American workers instead. That would have been patriotic.

They do that every day. It became boring. Job creators need variety, too.

[LibCampFireClub 635]

Well, they could have exploited American workers instead. That would have been patriotic.

Yeah. Nobody wants that!

[JohnR! 5,495]

But of course! Activist socialist judges legislating from the bench interfering with free enterprise.

The defenders of the job creators will be around shortly to lament the injustice of the judgement.

[luckytxn 2,264]

I bet they love the American justice system now. Barnum was right.