Cabbies of the three taxi companies in the country are angry as well as sad that no one has a real understanding of the issues they face. Some of the drivers who spoke to Gulf Times rued that while the residents reacted sharply to a flash strike by bus workers at three schools managed by a local business group no-one in the community showed any interest when a similar issue arose at one of the three firms. “Even though we have been airing our grievances all along not even the diplomatic missions in the country showed any interest in solving the issues that we have raised,” said a driver, working in one of the two franchisee companies of the Karwa. One driver asked if anyone could survive in an expensive country such as Qatar at a meagre salary of QR1,000 without accommodation. “How could one live with an abysmally low food allowance of QR200, when our company has no subsidised canteen for workers,” he asked. One of his colleagues claimed when they were recruited for the company in their home countries the recruiters made tall claims and promised “excellent” salaries. “However, we got a real feel of the job only when we took up employment with the company,” he said. However, when contacted a company official denied having made any such offer to the drivers. When contacted a diplomat at an Asian embassy said workers everywhere raise similar complaints against their employers and there is “nothing new” in their complaints. Some of the drivers who were met at the vast parking grounds near the Central Bus Station at Frij Al Ghanem said even if they worked round the clock their earnings fall short of the target fixed by their managers. “Don’t we also need sufficient rest while working in tight schedules,” asked a Nepalese expatriate working at a Karwa franchisee. Interaction with some of them found they are in no mood to continue further at their workplace but waiting for their present contracts to get over. “We are not only earning below the daily target fixed by our managers but are also facing a tough time owing to the presence of a large number of illegal taxis,” said an Asian driver. He said while there are groups at the South Asian level to highlight the issues being faced by such groups as fishermen serving in the region, the interests of larger sections as the taxi drivers are wholly overlooked by similar organisations. There are even active worker forums working at the Asian level to take care of the issues of those employed in the construction sector, according to the drivers. Some of the representatives of the bus drivers who went on strike at the three schools too ventilated similar grievances. “Had those who vehemently opposed our strike through letter-to-the-editor columns of the newspapers got any clear understanding of the issues that we faced at our place they would have instead sympathised with our plight and instructed the transport managers to mend their ways,” said an Arab driver, who said he and some of his colleagues were not able to send enough money to feed their families for quite some time. http://www.gulf-times.com/qatar/178/details/367106/no-one-knows-our-plight%2c-say-cabbies

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