The study estimated a large number of migrant workers being denied their due financial settlements, including pending salaries and termed it ‘wage theft’ that runs into crores of Indian rupees
There has been an exodus of migrant workers from every country due to the prevailing economic slowdown since 2018. This has been aggravated due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which forced many companies to close or downsize their structure.
Job losses are common these days. Largely, performance is not a criterion to sack people. It all depends on the financial health of the company and an employee’s luck. People are ready to accept the situation gracefully because no one had any clue about the magnanimity of the pandemic.
While returning home, migrant workers are looking for their proper financial settlement and their due on the company.
However, some migrant workers who have lost their jobs are put in a difficult situation because the employers are not settling their dues citing the company’s poor health and asking them to share bank account details in which the amount would be posted in installments or full amount after some time.
The CIMS surveyed 3,345 workers, out of them only 397 had proper documents supporting ‘wage theft’ by their employers. These 397 people had Rs 62 crore (Rs 62,58,73,366 exact) due on their employers. If divided per person the amount comes at Rs 15 lakh per person.
Some lucky employees are able to get their money back, but many are hopelessly waiting. Some of them have to take legal recourse, while others do not even have money to fight a legal battle.
A non-governmental organisation, Centre for Indian Migrant Studies (CIMS), which works for the rights of migrant workers from India, did a study and came out with startling facts.
The study estimated many migrant workers being denied their due financial settlements, including pending salaries and termed it ‘wage theft’ that runs into crores of Indian rupees. The CIMS called it a matter of concern for the “poor employees who lost their jobs and were not able to get their financial dues.”
The CIMS released a study involving 397 migrant workers who returned from the Gulf countries. They had documents to prove that they have been denied their financial dues.
The CIMS surveyed 3,345 workers; out of them, only 397 had proper documents supporting ‘wage theft’ by their employers. These 397 people had Rs 62 crore (Rs 62,58,73,366 exact) due on their employers. If divided per person, the amount comes at Rs 15 lakh per person.
The CMS, however, found the biggest amount at Rs 19 lakh, an employee is fighting to get from his employer.
“It is difficult, however, to fight for your money when you come back home permanently after losing your job. So we are contacting this authority, that authority, in India and the country in which we worked. Nothing substantial has come in our hands so far,” said a migrant worker on the condition of anonymity.