Cafe workers

It is unfortunate that in every global crisis, there are many victims who have done nothing wrong except that they were the weakest link in the chain. This article is about cafe workers in Kuwait and the impact of the country’s new regulations on their work and on business owners as well.

Marginal laborers are those whose salary does not exceed a hundred dinars, and they are likely to be exposed to the loss of this small income in the event of the continued negative impact of the coronavirus on businesses, cafes and restaurants. Some reports said a number of these workers may be fired or sent on long leaves as a result of the repercussions of the precautionary measures that were imposed by the state to face the coronavirus outbreak.

The most prominent example was the decision by the Municipality to ban shisha in restaurants and cafes, with intensified campaigns against barbershops and health centers based on the recommendations of the ministry of health, which led to a decrease in the number of customers. So business owners will be forced to lay off some workers, which affects these people negatively, as they will lose their meager income.

I think the decision to ban hookahs in cafes constituted a great calamity for cafe owners, especially as it is the basis of financial profit, and a great excuse for social gatherings and entertainment, especially since Kuwait does not have entertainment spots and many young people, especially the youth, find smoking shisha as a way of relieving pressure and having fun.

I know that some people find the ban on shisha and closing all cinemas and even wedding halls as an opportunity to lecture the public about the adverse health effects of smoking and crowding. But the absence of social entertainment makes cafes in Kuwait the sole such outlet. Also, the recent government measures due to the fear of the spread of coronavirus caused a drop in sales at restaurants by more than 50 percent, which is a sharp decline in revenues even as operating expenses remain the same, especially high rents.

So, reducing the number of employees or giving them leave is an option, but this is indeed a problem for marginal and low-income workers. What is more pessimistic is that a million workers out of 1.67 million expatriates working in the private sector receive salaries of less than KD 125 a month, according to government statistics published last April.

I hope this crisis will end soon as it is likely that restaurant revenues will continue to decline without clarity on the time period this situation may take or when it will end, especially with the continuation of the same rate of expenses and the pressure of rents and workers’ salaries. It is even possible that the number of workers - even sanitation workers - will be reduced to cut costs. These are possible scenarios if this issue of coronavirus continues. All options are bad for both the employer and low-income laborers, and also for customers.

I know that caution is required in terms of following up health instructions, maintaining personal hygiene and avoiding crowds, but turning this issue into one of panic, depression and preventing people from even going out is something I see as encroachment on personal freedom, and I personally reject it. It saddens me that owners of shops, restaurants and cafes will lose without clarity for the future or when this matter will end, with more losses for the poor workers.