Dear Editor

"its not the elderly that tell a catastrophy but rather those that have ever experienced it"

A number of compalints have ever been raised by ugandans working in Iraq but all seem to have been futile and ignored by the gov't and the companies that deploy them abroad. Several incidents such as delayed salaries, robbing ugandans of their money especially when they have to travel for reasons such as dismissal, or emergency leave to solve some problem at home. Two months worth of salary is deducted to cater for their transport costs yet the onus should be on the company employing them to transport its personnel back to their country of origin.

The recent disappearance of two ugandans, the death of one guard who was reported to have died of "harsh conditions" yet in fact he got shot after he had spent two weeks here. There was no compesation to the family of the deceased since the contract does not favour ugandans unlike other Third Country Nationals (TCN's) working in Iraq.

It is even believed that even if the compensation was done, it could not have reached the family of the deceased, it could have ended in the pockets of the contracting company as was the case when George Eyote was shot by a colleague and a compensation was done but unfortunately, he received peanuts whereas the big chunk found its way somewhere into big peoples pockets.

What is so hurting however is that Ugandans working with EODT/ASKER have not been paid their salaries for the last three months for a dubious reason that is hard to tell.

Our efforts to have these issues resolved are severely hampered by a small clique of informers among us, which reminds us of the quotation "my daughter cannot sneeze, metternick would learn of it". Mention anything related to money and the next day you will get a ticket back to Uganda and you will never return to Iraq. The sad story is that your little savings will be deducted to cater for your ticket.

Marginalisation and exploitation of the highest order is taking a lead among other evils happenng here. Take an example Ugandans working with South Africans in IPP ( Inside Perimetre Patrol). Both are TCN's ( third country nationals) performing the same job but suprisingly, Ugandans are paid $700 yet the South Africans earn $7,000! What kind of exploitation is this?

We appeal to the Members of the Parliament of the Republic of Uganda to have our grievances tabled to avert the course of this new slavery.