Eleven Indian workers have appealed for help because they have not been paid for nine months.
The women work for a company contracted to clean a hospital in Riyadh. They have refused to continue working until they are paid, and have been given an assurance that they will be paid on time in future. Their plight has been highlighted on various social media websites.
The company owners were not available for comment on Friday because their offices were closed. However, the Indian Embassy said it is following up on the matter with the firm and the Saudi authorities.
Maniyamma Rajan Vilasini, one of the workers, told Arab News by phone on Friday that they stopped working since Sunday over the nonpayment of salary. They claimed that other cleaners from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Indonesia were paid their salaries.
“They are discriminating against Indian workers. All the other workers have received payment. We have had many problems because of this,” she said, bursting into tears.
She said they have had to borrow money to buy food, and that their families are suffering back home.
All the workers are from various cities in Kerala. They identified themselves as Fatima Beevi, Sumangala, Selva Natarajan, Sunitha Saleem, Suhra Ashraf, Suma Lekshmi, Beevi Basheer, Vijayalekshmi K.S., and K. Kauma.
The cleaning company has employed them for two and a half years. They complained that the company did not allow them to go on vacation or leave on final exit visas after completing their two-year contracts.
“I am here for more than two years but the company has still not given me an iqama (residency permit). The company took money from us to get us iqamas but we have not received any,” she said.
She said they have filed a complaint with the Indian Embassy but nothing has happened so far.
The Indian Embassy issued a press statement on Thursday on its website. “In the case of the female workers, the embassy is in constant touch with the workers, top management of the company and Saudi authorities. The embassy will continue to follow up on the case on a priority basis,” it said.
The statement also slammed what it described as self-styled social workers and illegal agents who have been instigating the workers to go on strike. It said that this labor action violated Saudi laws.
The embassy said these people were indulging in anti-Saudi activities and trying to spoil the good will that exists for Indians in the Kingdom. It warned that the Saudi authorities would arrest and deport those who break the country’s laws.
11 women cleaners not paid for 9 months
