Stranded workers in Jordan yet to get official assistance

CHENNAI: “There is no help from the Indian authorities to date,” bemoaned R Pavendhan, who was one among the 69 Indian nationals hoping for a bailout from the distress situation in Jordan.

Echoing the views of fellow wor kers from India, the 36-year-old youth from Ariyalur district said that they were running short of reserve cash and groceries. The inaction of government authorities is worrying them more. “We have been trying our best to reach out to the government through our relatives back home. Our relatives petitioned the authorities, but we are fearing that it did not create any impact as there was no reaction from the Indian Embassy here,” father of a 7-year-old boy said.

The workers echoed that the factory manager along with two representatives of the labour union met them three days ago and promised that the company would be reopened on Saturday. “The manager asked to give a list of workers, who are willing to return to their country, as the management is making efforts towards it. He also promised to get a job in some other company, if they wish to stay back and continue to work,” said Pavendhan.

He, however, said that they were disappointed as the company did not open on Saturday as promised by its representatives nor keep up its promise to give one month of pending salary to senior workers and local labourers. Meanwhile, a Member of Parliament affiliated to the ruling DMK party A Raja wrote a letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, while the leader of CPI Parliament party Binoy Viswam also flagged the issue and wrote a letter to the Union minister. They sought the intervention of the ministry to ensure safe return of the Indian workers.

“69 Indian citizens, who were stranded as bonded labourers in Hy Apparel, a garment company, located at Altajamouat Industrial city in Jordan, need immediate and urgent attention. The company was neither willing to pay their wages nor had the intention to renew their visas and thereby the company retained the Indian workers as illegal migrants. Due to this, the workers are not able to go out of the company premises to avoid arrest and imprisonment by the local police,” said the DMK MP Raja, in his letter to MEA. The MP wrote the letter a day after DT Next published an article, capturing the plights of the Indian workers in the Middle East country.

“The labour court issued an order in favour of seven of the Indian workers, who filed a case against the company demanding pending salary and social security amount, but the firm did not honour the court order to date,” the MP said and urged the MEA to direct Indian Embassy in Amman to help the stranded workers.