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Coffeeshop Chit Chat - 80% of Indian & Bangla FTs kenna sacked!</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead vAlign=top><TD class=msgF width="1%" noWrap align=right>From: </TD><TD class=msgFname width="68%" noWrap>kojakbt_89 <NOBR></NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate width="30%" noWrap align=right>4:08 am </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT height=20 width="1%" noWrap align=right>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname width="68%" noWrap>ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (1 of 1) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft rowSpan=4 width="1%"> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>32855.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt>May 8, 2010
Batam shipyard reopens
But 80% of Indian, Bangladeshi staff will be sent home
<!-- by line -->By Teh Joo Lin & Jermyn Chow
http://www.straitstimes.com/Singapore/Story/STIStory_524042.html
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Employees enjoying an afternoon break outside Drydock World's Graha shipyard, which reopened earlier this week. It was closed more than a fortnight ago, following a riot among workers. -- ST PHOTO: AZIZ HUSSIN
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DRYDOCKS World's Graha shipyard in Batam, which shut its doors after a riot more than a fortnight ago, reopened earlier this week - but without some of the workers from India and Bangladesh.
Thousands of workers at the shipyard were involved in the April 22 riot which was triggered when an Indian supervisor insulted an Indonesian worker. Indian workers had to be rescued from the rampaging mob.
Yesterday, when The Straits Times visited Batam, several Bangladeshi supervisors claimed that their services, and those of their Indian colleagues, would be terminated by Drydocks.
They had been holed up in hotels in Batam and Singapore since the riot.
Responding to queries from The Straits Times, Drydocks said it intends to repatriate 80 per cent of the 155 employees from the two countries in the Graha shipyard.
One of the supervisors, a 27-year-old Bangladeshi, said: 'The problem affects only Indians, so why target us?'
Another supervisor, 35, said he will find it hard to land a new job because his certificates had been destroyed during the riot.
Explaining the repatriation, Mr Denis Welch, chief executive of Drydocks World South-east Asia, said: 'It will be several weeks before the yard returns to full production and currently, there are no jobs for them.'
Affected workers were given a month's salary and other wages, such as overtime pay. They also received up to $1,000 each for the loss of their belongings during the riot.
The latest development came as Drydocks introduced a slew of measures aimed at preventing a repeat of the April 22 incident.
Among other things, they include talks on cultural awareness for all new employees. A 'friendship evening' will also be held to build understanding.
Mr Welch also announced on Thursday that Drydocks will ensure that sub-contractors pay their workers promptly and do not dock their pay unfairly.
Sub-contracted workers said yesterday the unhappiness had been stoked by a pay gap between them and Drydocks workers. Their salaries also come late and they even had to pay for their own boots, protective goggles and helmets, they claimed.
Mr Welch had said that Drydocks workers' pay is pegged to the 'top quartile of pay of all employees at Batam's shipyards'. But the company has no control over the wages of sub-contracted workers, he added.
A 30-year-old sub-contracted foreman said: 'We just want the same salary as the Drydocks workers. And if they get their boots free, we want our boots free too.'
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Batam shipyard reopens
But 80% of Indian, Bangladeshi staff will be sent home
<!-- by line -->By Teh Joo Lin & Jermyn Chow
http://www.straitstimes.com/Singapore/Story/STIStory_524042.html
<!-- end by line -->
<!-- end left side bar -->
<!-- story content : start -->
DRYDOCKS World's Graha shipyard in Batam, which shut its doors after a riot more than a fortnight ago, reopened earlier this week - but without some of the workers from India and Bangladesh.
Thousands of workers at the shipyard were involved in the April 22 riot which was triggered when an Indian supervisor insulted an Indonesian worker. Indian workers had to be rescued from the rampaging mob.
Yesterday, when The Straits Times visited Batam, several Bangladeshi supervisors claimed that their services, and those of their Indian colleagues, would be terminated by Drydocks.
They had been holed up in hotels in Batam and Singapore since the riot.
Responding to queries from The Straits Times, Drydocks said it intends to repatriate 80 per cent of the 155 employees from the two countries in the Graha shipyard.
One of the supervisors, a 27-year-old Bangladeshi, said: 'The problem affects only Indians, so why target us?'
Another supervisor, 35, said he will find it hard to land a new job because his certificates had been destroyed during the riot.
Explaining the repatriation, Mr Denis Welch, chief executive of Drydocks World South-east Asia, said: 'It will be several weeks before the yard returns to full production and currently, there are no jobs for them.'
Affected workers were given a month's salary and other wages, such as overtime pay. They also received up to $1,000 each for the loss of their belongings during the riot.
The latest development came as Drydocks introduced a slew of measures aimed at preventing a repeat of the April 22 incident.
Among other things, they include talks on cultural awareness for all new employees. A 'friendship evening' will also be held to build understanding.
Mr Welch also announced on Thursday that Drydocks will ensure that sub-contractors pay their workers promptly and do not dock their pay unfairly.
Sub-contracted workers said yesterday the unhappiness had been stoked by a pay gap between them and Drydocks workers. Their salaries also come late and they even had to pay for their own boots, protective goggles and helmets, they claimed.
Mr Welch had said that Drydocks workers' pay is pegged to the 'top quartile of pay of all employees at Batam's shipyards'. But the company has no control over the wages of sub-contracted workers, he added.
A 30-year-old sub-contracted foreman said: 'We just want the same salary as the Drydocks workers. And if they get their boots free, we want our boots free too.'
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