Coll 54/2 'Middle East (Official) Committee: Working Party' [‎269v] (538/642)

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?6 C There were thre< ‘-'Contrsc.tcrs” ard t ? -ei.r rhare oi the
arrangements is described belo^s-
This Agent recruitca considC'-r-nble ntiiCiber of sxcll-^o
Iraqis end was given 'ccrml-'’'sion to do -;o by the Sheiich•
He bald all the expenses involved . In bringing the men tc
Ku.-elto All -ages due to the aien are paid through his
office after authorisation by the Company’s pey end
wages Department, and for this he receives a commission
of 15$ of the monthly amouni paid out. In add;.tion he
receives 9<i' Dinars (~ •£•'•. 1C 0 C j pcx month of 26 days
for each man or. his pay roll* At 3 X 912 . 48 ,. he - was
dealing vith 190 - vu ft n.i rate c:f wage of.
6 :;ls„ per'day- the c/^-er •?. 1.1 rrts of payina/it to hint v?a$
I) 106,60C pex* anrnam. (* ©c,. commission and the- allowaitce
of 9£ Dinars per• man for .food -ate. « 5 Dinars •per
month for fuel, food and. other related supplies and
to cover Transport 'expenses
ac c ovvc/da11 or. aod 1 D ir: a
to end from Irec.)
The Company were, relieved oi any• re.^feponsibIX1 ty
for the se men and the arrangement no doubt served their
tc: thv
fr ea u en t c ompl a i.n t s
purpose- ** Inc
between pay A
by the rue, 4
thWfc
vdtng the maf ii.
t* Jr t h £» V h p ' ; V
no'
£ U !-
ecelved
the v/r.r^s
due
n.., s
i It Contr-' ct in ,
chip.- ijay
The
-,nt s
orovldecl o'?, in.
• 12^
ale s i
an p
lus 12^ Rs
i / 4 V'
V- JUv •'V
food
and
accoTcn»cda
242
A,
id v
■ T p
f -A. 0 ’ t-
0
ant\ using
a. .a
r yearly r
onst
2 K3.i. r ;i£fX2.
10 ;
,1 iaen.o They receive
to nth per man to .:
They wera dec.1. tng with
dfal’inp; nl -h U-’ non at 31.12.1-8 sncl ihe fc-ir^ge
v/age rate
£14,647.
a day, their yearly 'ate -'*was
27c Eased upon the calculations 1 have described, the
V contractors have been paid by th 1 Compnny at the rate 0
£152,731 per annum,' of which £22,7b 4 was commission',
discussed the matter with Mr, Jordan and ha agreed that it
had been a costly arrangement but stressed that. It was
unavoidable in the circumstances with which, they were faced.
Recruiting through the Agents hod ceased. The Iraqis would
all be gone in 6 months and the workers being dealt with
through"the other two agents would either become redundant
to requirements or become direct ovplcyeos of the company©
28 0 I have given the foregclng entails' es an Indication
of some of the serious difficulties with which the Company
have hed to deal©
•>
29 0 They also ha vu an arrange man t with 9 Agents to supply
daily labour as required - called Hulk labour.f These Agents
supply a given number of men each day ~ not.necessarily the
same men X and are paid, a flat rate according to the numbers
involvedo They pay the men » and there are many complaints
by the men that they do not receive the correct rates ~ and
they receive Io$ commission on the monthly amount received
from the 0 o©