Minimum wages trap for ‘US Territory’ here

NEW DELHI:If the US embassy in New Delhi is considered US territory, shouldn’t US minimum wage laws apply to the Indian staff working there? This hitherto unconsidered question is likely to come up as Americans in India look set to face the full force of South Block’s fury in the coming days.

As outrage over the treatment meted out to diplomat Devyani Khobragade spread, External Affairs Ministry swiftly mounted a diplomatic offensive on the US embassy here, destroying in one afternoon the mostprivileged and charmed status Amer ican diplomats unofficially enjoyed in New Delhi.

The Ministry of External Affairs sought employment details and bank account details of Indian staff employed with the US embassy in New Delhi and its various consulates around the country. Rough estimates indicate that these facilities collectively employ more than 1,000 Indians. Once their salary details and bank accounts are scrutinised, depending on the course of the Khobragade case, he government might raise the question why the US was not applying the minimum wages of that country to the Indian staff employed in premises deemed its territory.

The US embassy in Chanakyapuri is considered to be the largest embassy in the Indian capital. It is also among the largest US embassies anywhere in the world. Most locally-hired staff are not paid wages that will match US minimum wages, even though they are paid wages well above Indian minimum wage benchmarks.

The government has also sought employment details of spouses and family members of diplomatic staff working outside the embassy.