Hom Karki

Forty-five Nepali migrant workers have not been given their salaries or their papers preventing them from returning home. The workers who were employed at three companies based in Sanaiya, Bakra and Mataraqdim complained that they had not been provided identity cards to stay in Qatar, and that they had not been allowed to return home either.

The 35 Nepali workers employed at RTC Company said that they had not been paid for the last four months. “The company gives us a month’s salary after working for four months,” said Hem Shankar Pashawan who hails from Siraha district. “It has been difficult for us to repay our loans and interest back home.” 

He added that the company had also not issued identity cards for the Nepali workers which is necessary to live in Qatar. This has made them anxious because they could be arrested at any time by the local police for not having the necessary papers. 

The workers said that even though the companies had promised to let them return to Nepal, they had not been allowed to leave. “It has already been four months that we have been waiting to return to Nepal, but there is still no sign of it,” said Sanjiv Shah who is from Mahottari. Shah, who suffers from a nerve-related disease, said that his condition had been deteriorating as the company had not managed his health inspection. “I am having difficulty to stand on my feet due to the lack of health check-up,” he said. 

Meanwhile, a local hotel has sacked five Nepalis. Kishan Rijal of Parbat, Kalamdin Nau of Kapilvastu, Gopal Pandey of Butwal, Medhnath Sharma of Baglung and Dhana Bahadur Magar of Gaighat who lost their jobs said that the employer exploited their labour and manhandled them. The hotel in Bakra had not even provided them accommodation. They eventually found shelter at the Nepal Embassy after spending two days in a mosque. 

Rijal said that the Jordani owner of the hotel used to make them work at the hotel during the day and at his home during the night. “We had to work at the hotel from 8 am to 12 midnight,” he said. “Then we would be taken to his home to do more work.” He added that they used to be beaten if they refused to work.

The workers gave up their jobs due to the exploitation. “All our stuffs are at the hotel,” said Gopal Pandey of Butwal. “We were not allowed to take our stuffs with us.” Meanwhile, Medhnath Sharma of Baglung who had arrived just two months ago had paid Rs 115,000 to an agent. “I had come here with the hope of getting a job at a good hotel,” he said. “But the hotel was really terrible.” 

These five Nepalis are now living in a shelter provided by the Nepal Embassy. They also have filed a case against the owner of the hotel.

Published on: 11 March 2013 | The Kathmandu Post