Indian workers labouring in vain

Manama : Nearly 500 labourers from India, working in several companies in Bahrain, have reportedly sought help of the Ministry of External Affairs in India as the trend of difficulties faced by them is continuing unabated.
The news of their plight came to light after a group of workers employed in a private company in Bahrain appealed to the government for support through social media networks, reported a national newspaper from India.
The group said at least 500 workers had not received salary for months and were living on food handouts, reported the Hindu on Friday.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, however, took up the matter and instructed the Indian Embassy in Manama to extend all possible help to them.
“Indian embassy in Bahrain is informed of the matter and will help them,” she said in reply to the followers seeking intervention on her Twitter page.
The Indian embassy in Bahrain, however, said in a reply: “The matter has been taken up with the local Govt. Mission is working for a speedy resolution to the issue.”
Telangana government has also reached out to Ms Sushama Swaraj seeking to free 29 Indian workers employed in a company in Saudi Arabia, the report added.
Ms Swaraj has instructed the Indian embassy in Riyadh also to look after the case, which is known to be still unfolding, the Hindu reported.
However, reports about labourers in GCC countries being put to various difficulties, including salary denial, have been increasing, and the incidents in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are reported to be the latest in
the series.
Despite these, the GCC countries have the largest number of overseas Indian workers and remain a source of foreign remittances to the Indian economy, the report said.