What is it about billionaires?
It will be pointed out that the great majority of billionaires, or multimillionaires living in their palatial mansions, in London, Paris, or Geneva etc, treat their domestic servants well. This may indeed be the case, but that’s not a reason for remaining silent about those who do not.
Regularly we hear about the rigid kafala system, a practise which restricts the liberty and movement of the foreign worker once they start their employment. It often means the employer demands to keep the passport of the foreign worker, to make sure they don’t run away. We often hear about cases of domestics working eighteen hours a day, sleeping on mattresses or on the floor, forbidden to leave the premises, to say nothing of abuse, sexual or otherwise.
In Britain, where politicians receive donations from different sources, where lobbying has developed into an art, these misdemeanours rarely get taken to court, and when they do, the rich law-breaker gets a rap on the knuckle or a fine, and nothing changes.
It was therefore pleasing to hear that in Switzerland, law courts are not muzzled. The richest family in Britain, the Hindujas, who have businesses all over the world, with members of the family having luxurious mansions in places like Geneva, Paris, Monaco etc, have seen a Swiss court pas a four and a half year jail sentence to Prakash Hinduja and his wife Kamal Hinduja, Ajay Hinduja and his wife Nimrata. The family is believed to be worth £37 billion, and among a list of surprising offences, there figured one about payment of salaries. The victims were only paid in Rupees in their Indian bank accounts, thus saving the immeasurably family at least a few hundred pounds.
