Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Three Indian workers who got stranded in the Kingdom after fleeing their employer in the Eastern Province are still struggling to obtain exit visas to return home. The workers said they stopped work at the factory and fled after being mistreated and deprived of their salaries for months. They said they had lodged a complaint with the labor office and their case had been looked into. A source at the labor disputes reconciliation office told Saudi Gazette that the workers and their employer failed to reach an agreement and therefore the case was transferred to the court. The source said the three workers were issued documents from the labor office that allow them to work for other employers. He said the documents would convince labor inspectors that they have cases pending in courts. A court in Al-Khobar is expected to look into their case after three months. Meanwhile, the three workers live in a room that they rented for SR500 a month. One of the three men is a production engineer who stopped work in September. He said he had been attending hearings at the labor office since early October. He added that his employer did not attend any of the hearings. The man said he did not understand much of what went on in the labor office as all the employees spoke to him in Arabic. He said, "I don't want to work for another employer; I just want my salaries and passport to leave the country peacefully. "This is taking too long; I have family issues and financial commitments." The workers however are forced to wait for at least three more months for the court hearing. They fear that the case may be delayed further if the employer fails to show up in court.
