H-1B workers launch hunger strike outside White House!!

[harharmahadev]

H-1B workers launch hunger strike outside White House!!


Not kidding. Check link.

WASHINGTON: A group of Indian guest workers will launch a hunger strike in front of the White House here to demand that the Indian government protect its citizens from "exploitation" by American companies as well as harassment by the US immigration authorities.

The protest at Lafayette Park will be held in batches with as many as 30 workers set for participation on May 21 and May 28. The first set of six workers will begin their "water only" protest.

"The Indian government needs to show the kind of courage with the US that it showed in labour talks with Malaysia and Bahrain," said hunger striker Sony Sulekha. "If we could sit down and talk with the US Congressmen, we believe our leaders can too," Sulekha said.

"This hunger strike is a last resort," said Saket Soni, a worker's advocate who directs the New Orleans Workers' Center for Racial Justice.

The workers are demanding that Indian parliamentarians press their US counterparts for a Congressional investigation into abuses in the US guest worker visa programme and that the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Overseas Indian Affairs press the US State Department to secure the workers' right to participate in a human trafficking investigation into Signal International and its American and Indian recruiters.

"Indian envoy to the US Ronen Sen offered the workers only symbolic reassurances and apologies for protocol. Now they are risking their lives in the hope that the Indian government will find the courage to pressure the US government to grant them dignity, and protect future workers," Soni said.

In March, the workers marched to the Indian Embassy where Sen listened to their grievances for over three hours.

[motowner]

Indian parliamentarians will have a good laugh if they ever hear about this ...

They can barely do anything for Indians living in India, who actually vote .. why would they bother about Indians abroad?

[TerminatorJR]

Recently, I had read on CNN or some other news site about changes to H1-B rules, something to the effect of if you are doing consulting work for client and your daily work is not managed at all by your employer or not reporting to your employer everyday, it is going to be a problem.

Some rumors about H1-B folks being sent back at NJ airport, etc. I read on Murthy.com's forum a bit about these just being rumors (oh mere friend ke friend se suna tha ya friend ke friend ko vaapis bheja).

slacka and rest, any input ?

[harharmahadev]

Originally Posted by TerminatorJR

Recently, I had read on CNN or some other news site about changes to H1-B rules, something to the effect of if you are doing consulting work for client and your daily work is not managed at all by your employer or not reporting to your employer everyday, it is going to be a problem.

Some rumors about H1-B folks being sent back at NJ airport, etc. I read on Murthy.com's forum a bit about these just being rumors (oh mere friend ke friend se suna tha ya friend ke friend ko vaapis bheja).

slacka and rest, any input ?

That would be quite a disaster...imagine getting kicked out of the country inspite of having the visa and everything....

H-1 B workers really need to constantly apply Preparation H!

[BhaiG]

Be ready to come back .....