Mujraparty
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The India-US stand-off over Devyani Khobragade has brought Indian employees at the US Embassy and diplomatic missions in India, and the human resource policies they follow, under intense scrutiny.
Employees working with American missions in India have begun speaking out against the double standards of the US, and have revealed how many of them earn far less than their American counterparts do for doing the same job and working similar hours.
In fact, in the case of some semi-skilled staff, the wages are below those prescribed under India's Minimum Wages Act.
The US Diplomatic Security Service had on December 12 arrested Khobragade for allegedly underpaying her domestic help vis-à-vis American law, and misrepresenting the pay information in visa documents.
She was released on bail, but the charges against her remain.
While the starting salary for a US mission official is about $31,000 (Rs 19.2 lakh) per year plus allowances, it can go up to $151,000 (Rs 93.4 lakh) for a diplomat and $199,000 (Rs 1.23 crore) for the Ambassador, besides allowances.
The salary for the Indian Ambassador to the US, on the other hand, hovers around an approximate $8,000 (Rs 4.94 lakh).
Sample this: an employee of the US Embassy sent in his salary slip to this newspaper.
As a visa officer, the employee said he earned Rs 17,000 per month, a far cry from the Rs 1.55 lakh ($2,500) his American counterpart made exclusive of allowances and a free house.
In India, US diplomats even get a 20 per cent hardship allowance, which goes up to 25 per cent for their consulate in Kolkata.
The offer letter sent in by another employee, working as a visa clerk, showed his salary to be Rs 1,64,473 per annum - a pittance compared to that of an American equal, who would also be entitled to other allowances.
One security guard gets Rs 8,000 per month for an eight-hour daily shift, which is way below what's specified in the Act.
The US mission refrained from making any official comment, but officials claimed off the record that Indians know they have to work at lower wages as local employees.
"They are free to leave if they are not happy," a US mission source said.
Read more: Double standards? Indian employees of US missions claim they are paid 'a pittance' | Mail Online
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Employees working with American missions in India have begun speaking out against the double standards of the US, and have revealed how many of them earn far less than their American counterparts do for doing the same job and working similar hours.
In fact, in the case of some semi-skilled staff, the wages are below those prescribed under India's Minimum Wages Act.
The US Diplomatic Security Service had on December 12 arrested Khobragade for allegedly underpaying her domestic help vis-à-vis American law, and misrepresenting the pay information in visa documents.
She was released on bail, but the charges against her remain.
While the starting salary for a US mission official is about $31,000 (Rs 19.2 lakh) per year plus allowances, it can go up to $151,000 (Rs 93.4 lakh) for a diplomat and $199,000 (Rs 1.23 crore) for the Ambassador, besides allowances.
The salary for the Indian Ambassador to the US, on the other hand, hovers around an approximate $8,000 (Rs 4.94 lakh).
Sample this: an employee of the US Embassy sent in his salary slip to this newspaper.
As a visa officer, the employee said he earned Rs 17,000 per month, a far cry from the Rs 1.55 lakh ($2,500) his American counterpart made exclusive of allowances and a free house.
In India, US diplomats even get a 20 per cent hardship allowance, which goes up to 25 per cent for their consulate in Kolkata.
The offer letter sent in by another employee, working as a visa clerk, showed his salary to be Rs 1,64,473 per annum - a pittance compared to that of an American equal, who would also be entitled to other allowances.
One security guard gets Rs 8,000 per month for an eight-hour daily shift, which is way below what's specified in the Act.
The US mission refrained from making any official comment, but officials claimed off the record that Indians know they have to work at lower wages as local employees.
"They are free to leave if they are not happy," a US mission source said.
Read more: Double standards? Indian employees of US missions claim they are paid 'a pittance' | Mail Online
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
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