Ext 5034/44 'Discontent among Indian Personnel of Arabian American Oil Co. at Al Khobar and Dhahran' [‎8r] (15/36)

transDort from Bahrain to Tn^1a ahonlfi ha arranged before
the non wore brought over here as our housing position was
i
most acute and there was also the ratiomnp difficulty. On the
i X w&a informed that some thirtysix Indian ex-employees
of the -irabian American Oil Company desired to see me. I
interviewed two df their spokesmen and listened to their com
plaint about the failure of the Company to provide ihem with
cooked food and the inadequacy of the rations issued to them
In lieu. I was shown a letter which was addressed by the
Company^ representative in Bombay to each of‘the employees
before he signed his agreement and I pointed out to the two
men that the Company had not giver, any undertaking to provide
cooked food from the 16th of October. They had stated that
they hoped to be able to do so but that it was always possible
that soaie delay might occur and that therefore the man were
advised to bring their own cooking utensils. The Indians were
very concerned about what they considered to have bean unfair
treatment and stated that they did not know why they had been
sent over to Bahrain. I contacted the Company^ representative
here and gave it as my opinion that the Indians should be
given che Company^ reasons in writing for having been removed
from Bhahran. This was done and each individual was informed
in writing that he had been discharged unaer Clause 12 of the
Foreign Service agreement w for cause”. I again took the
natter up with the local representative and suggested that the
non would have a genuine grievance unless the ”cause” was
clearly stated. Hr. Rodstrom undertook to forward my views
to his principals at bhahran and I understand that this was
in fact done though no change was made in the composition of
the letter of dismissal.
3. Time went by and owing to lack of transport the thirty-
six Indians remained in Bahrain being accommodated and rationed
by the Company. Mr. Fedstrom had several conversations with
me witn regard to their transport to India because shipping
/appeared