Indians in Saudi want their dues to be paid first

Indian workers stranded in Saudi Arabia are worried about their pending pay. Thousands of Indians, who worked in two construction companies that closed down, are now housed in camps around Jeddah.

“Civil engineers have not been paid salaries for over nine months now and workers for seven months. Though we want to return home, we need at least a portion of what is due to us immediately as we have not sent any money to our families. I haven’t been able to pay my daughter’s school fees,” a worker at a camp told The Hindu over phone.

Sources said that Indian Embassy officials had been visiting the camps and taking details of workers. “They say they will arrange to get our dues but we are not sure how that can be done. The situation is really tense and several rumours are going around the camps. Some say that we would be taken to Delhi and then sent home by train, while others say we would be taken to India and then paid Rs. 500 each to reach our homes,” said another worker.

Though the companies shut down sometime ago, their canteens continued to run for sometime. “After they closed, we had nowhere to eat. Hundreds of Indians blocked the Mecca Road after which the Army came and then the Indian Embassy stepped in. Kind-hearted Indians and Saudi nationals have been providing food to us. The Embassy also arranged for rice, potatoes and other things,” said a worker.

Indian community organisations formed an umbrella body called Indian Community, Jeddah, pooled in money and have been helping out with food, basic medicines and other necessary items. “When we visited one camp two weeks ago, the workers were eating dry rotis, we immediately arranged for food from a restaurant. Then we supplied rice, dhals, oil and condiments so that the workers can cook and eat,” said one of the volunteers with the Indian Community, Jeddah.

Pon Kumar, Tamizhaga Kattada Thozhilalargal Mathiya Sangam, who has been helping bring back Tamils stuck in foreign countries, said that only when the numbers are so large the Indian government is stepping in. “In gulf countries hundreds of persons are stuck in prisons. All these workers would have taken loans to get the jobs and would not want to come back. I would rather request the Indian government to talk to the Saudi Arabian government to provide alternative jobs to these men,” he said.

M. Babu Murugavel, former Arani MLA, whose area has a lot of people working in countries including Saudi Arabia, said that many of these labourers would have taken loans to get visas. “Though ticket, visa and other expenses would amount to under Rs. 50,000, they end up spending nearly Rs. 2 lakh just to reach those countries. Most times they are treated badly and return home in a sorry state. The entire emigration process needs to be streamlined,” he said.