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Indian workers' pay issue is being looked into'

Our Bureau

ABU DHABI, March 7

THE problem of non-payment of salaries involving hundreds of Indian unskilled workers in the Northern Emirates is being resolved, though it will take time to settle the different cases, an official at the Indian Consulate in Dubai told Business Line.

Cases concerning over 1,500 workers have been referred over the past two months to the consulate, and the policy of the consulate is to try to resolve them as soon as possible by talking to the employers, the official said.

``Cases regarding some companies have been solved, with the employers agreeing to pay tickets and some amount of cash to workers who wish to return home. Others have offered to grant clearance and organise their transfer to other companies, if the worker s wish to stay back here,'' the official said.

Almost all the companies have agreed in principle to pay the dues, but the actual date of payments could take time, depending on the financial status of each firm. ``Some cases are also in the labour court, and this means, that resolving these problems w ill take time,'' he said.

Most of the workers who have been affected have opted to return home, as the trauma of living without regular means of income for months have drained their physical and material resources, it is learnt.

Five to six cases are reported to the consulate daily, though many are minor issues. ``We expect the situation to improve in the coming months, with fewer cases coming to us,'' the official said.

Meanwhile, the Sharjah Indian Association is continuing to provide food supplies for nearly 100 of the affected workers, according to Mr. Y.A. Rahim, President of the association.

``There are some positive developments and we hope that many cases will be resolved soon. The consulate has been very helpful in this regard,'' he added.

The majority of the problems related to unskilled workers are reported in the Northern Emirates due to the large-scale construction activity that has taken place in these areas over the past year or so, leading to the employment of hundreds of workers fr om the sub-continent.