The BJP government asked stranded Indian workers in Saudi Arabia to return without waiting for unpaid salaries from their Saudi employers, indicating that negotiations to secure their dues had not made headway.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj used the social media to reach out to the affected Indian nationals asking them to return without “waiting indefinitely” for their dues.“When Saudi government settles with the companies which have been closed down, your dues will also be paid,” Ms. Swaraj said in a tweet.
The Minister-level declaration is the first sign that quiet diplomacy led by MoS Gen. (Retd.) V.K. Singh, to ensure dues and salaries for at least 3,172 workers who became jobless after three major Saudi construction firms folded up, did not yield results.
“Indian workers in Saudi Arabia – please file your claims and return home. We will bring you back free of charge. Please appreciate that settlement of claims will take time. There is no point in waiting there indefinitely,” Ms. Swaraj announced on her Twitter account. The announcement came even as Mr. Singh was in Saudi Arabia to seek settlement for the unpaid dues for the nationals.
The issue erupted on July 30 when External Affairs Minister announced from her Twitter handle that 10,000 Indian nationals were facing a “food crisis” in Saudi Arabia as they had not been paid salaries for several months. The crisis was due to non-payment of salaries for Indian nationals. ent of salaries for Indian nationals.
