Riyadh- Saudi Labor Minister Mufarrej al-Haqbani expressed Saudi readiness to cover all expenditures of Indian labor workers wishing to go back home, in addition to the provision of legal aid to those in pursuit of legal justice against companies responsible for holding back salaries or other damages.
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“We have started disbursing cash among the workers at three camps namely Siteen, Aljazeera and Taif, having 300, 300 and 200 individuals, respectively”, the ambassador told the news agency from Riyadh by telephone.
Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif has taken notice of Pakistanis suffering in Saudi Arabia and ordered Pakistan Embassy in Riyadh to resolve their issues as soon as possible.
“Things are not as bad as they have been shown and projected”, the minister said in joint remarks with Haqbani after their meeting.
Meanwhile, former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy who played a key part in working with Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in evacuating Keralites from Libya, Yemen and Iraq when in office, on Wednesday wrote to the minister asking her to call a meeting of top Kerala businessmen based in the Middle East.
However, what Indian workers say they most urgently want is their pay. The situation for these employees has now turned into a humanitarian crisis, after the company stopped providing them with food or collecting trash at the camps where majority live.
The Islamic nation has also permitted workers to take re-employment if other companies find them suitable, she said, adding that before departing, the Indian workers will register their claims of unpaid salaries and other dues with the Labour Office of Saudi Arabia.
There is a strong possibility that the Saudi company would be closed, said the embassy official. He is traveling to the Saudi city via Dubai.
On Tuesday, giving a breakup of the figures, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said 4,072 workers belonging to construction company Saudi Oger in Riyadh were being provided shelter in 10 camps: nine in Riyadh and one in Damman.
The news of workers’ suffering came to light last week when some Indian media outlets reported that around 10,000 Indian employees at the construction firm were facing food shortages.
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The Ministry has approved an amount of SAR 100,000/- (equivalent to Pak Rs.2,785,000/-) from PCW&E Fund for providing relief to the workers by the Embassy. “The UAE is keen on maintaining the best trade relationships with Saudi Arabia”, said Hamad Buamim, President and CEO of Dubai Chamber.
