Ex-Occidental CEO, Wife Allegedly Trafficked and Exploited Domestic Workers
The Los Angeles Times reports that three women from the Philippines have filed a lawsuit against Ray Irani, the former chief executive of Occidental Petroleum Corp., and his wife Ghada. The complaint, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges that the couple underpaid and overworked them at their mansion, and that two of the women were trafficked into the United States via Qatar and effectively confined at the couple’s home. Plaintiffs claim that the work at the Iranis’ eight-bedroom, 14-bathroom home — such as cleaning, preparing food and performing massages and manicures — was grueling, and some workdays lasted up to 16 hours. Two of the women allegedly started at a fixed salary of $1,200 per month, without overtime. Their passports also allegedly were confiscated and security details kept close tabs on their movements, amounting to imprisonment in the opulent home.
KJ