The Jharkhand Labour Department set-up the contact with 48 migrant workers from the state who are stranded in Tunisia, North Africa, with the help of the Indian embassy. According to officials on Friday, the verification process of their documents is underway. The workers alleged that they have been surviving without pay for four months and do not have money even to buy food.
Shikha Lakra, team leader of the Migrant Control Cell under the Jharkhand Labour Department, stated that following Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s directive, they managed to contact the stranded migrant workers and are coordinating with the Indian embassy in Tunisia, according to PTI.
"We spoke to the migrant workers allegedly stranded by a private firm in Tunisia and are verifying their documents. We are also in touch with the Indian Embassy officials in Tunisia for arranging their safe return to their native places," Lakra stated.
What did workers say?
According to NDTV, a worker in a video appeal, stated, “We were told that we are being employed by a company and that we will get our agreement papers on reaching the work location. On reaching, we found out that this was contract work and there are no agreement papers.”
The worker claimed that Gurugram-based private firm had promised an eight-hour workday, but they are being forced to work approximately 12 hours daily. "On asking for payment, we are being threatened that we will be jailed and won't be able to return to India," the worker mentioned in a video, which also showed other workers from Giridih, Hazaribagh, and Bokaro districts, as per the NDTV report.
Among the 48 stranded workers, 19 are from Hazaribagh, 14 from Giridih, and 15 from Bokaro districts in Jharkhand.
Sikander Ali, a social activist advocating for migrant workers and the first to contact the migrant cell regarding their situation in Tunisia, spoke about their plight. "In the video message the workers have alleged that the company is forcing them to work overtime. This is causing them mental stress. They want to return home but are not being allowed by the company. The workers have appealed to the Centre and state government to help them return to their homes," PTI quoted Ali as saying.
Meanwhile, while taking notice of the situation of the migrant workers, Soren took to X on Friday and instructed the deputy commissioners of three districts, Bokaro, Hazaribagh, and Giridih, to faciliate the workers' safe comeback.
