RIYADH, 14 February 2008 — The Sri Lankan government has sought the intervention of the Eastern Province governorate in the case of more than 100 beleaguered migrant workers who are under virtual house arrest in a government hospital in Ahsa.
The workers are being held against their will since their employment contract lapsed six months ago. One worker, a woman, reportedly attempted suicide due to the situation. They said their employers extended their work and prevented them from going home at the end of their original work contract.
W.S.M.S. Wijesundera, charge d’affaires at the Sri Lankan Embassy in Riyadh, said the mission will lodge a formal complaint with the Eastern Province Gov. Prince Muhammad ibn Fahd today, requesting that all 106 Sri Lankans who have been working as hospital cleaners for the past three years be sent home.
“The workers are attached to a leading contracting company and the delay in repatriating the workers is due to non-availability of proper replacement,” the diplomat explained.
Wijesundera said that the mission was negotiating with the company to repatriate at least 33 women and 11 men whose families are desperately waiting for them back home because of various emergencies.
A spokesman from the company said that the work contract of these employees ended in September 2007. “We are yet to get new workers to replace the outgoing ones,” he said, pointing out that the withdrawal of workers from the site would mean a breach of contract with the Ministry of Health.
He said the workers were paid their salaries in time. The monthly wage of these workers is SR600 that includes a food allowance of SR200.
