Nearly 200 Indians, including many from Tamil Nadu, working for a construction firm are stranded at a labour camp on the Jubail-Damam highway in Saudi Arabia. The workers, who have not been paid their wages, have been stuck there for months despite the Indian embassy holding talks with the company .
One of the stranded workers, Avinash Gupta from Uttar Pradesh, told TOI on Monday over telephone, “For the last 10 months we have been waiting to return to India. Some of us have lost our loved ones back home and could not even make it to their fu neral. We do not want any money as of now but want to return home at the earliest.“
The workers are employed by MMG, a construction company , in Jubail. In March this year, the company agreed to settle the dispute following discussions with the Indian embassy and labour ministry officials.
As per the agreement, workers can opt for local transfer or exit visa with salary for the month of October 2014 and 20% of service benefits which would be paid immediately .The remaining salary and service benefits were to be sent to their bank accounts in eight equal installments.The company promised to send the money in two weeks but failed to do so.
Samikannu, a worker from Chidambaram district in Tamil Nadu, said, “We get food from the canteen only on a few days. Our residence permit or Iqama has expired and we cannot get an exit visa.“
