A 30-KILOMETRE protest march by almost 1,300 workers was called off yesterday when their bosses allegedly locked them inside their labour camp.
However, work on the $6 billion (BD2.26bn) Durrat Al Bahrain project was hit for the second day running as the men continued their strike.
Labourers of G P Zachariades downed tools on Saturday demanding better salaries and complaining about poor living conditions.
The strike came just days after Indian Ambassador Balkrishna Shetty said his government was planning to impose a BD100 minimum wage for all Indians in the Gulf.
However, employees working on the luxurious housing development and resort project say they are being paid a basic salary of just BD57 a month and claim they are not provided with adequate medical facilities or hot water.
They are now demanding a better deal and a spokesman for the workers, who asked to remain anonymous, yesterday threatened the strike would continue until their demands are met.
He said the men had planned to march north from the resort to the Labour Ministry, Isa Town, to discuss their plight.
"We will not go back to work until we get a pay rise because what we are asking for is fair," he said.
"We had decided to march to the Labour Ministry to discuss our problems with them, but they (company management) did not allow us to leave the camp when they learned about our plan.
"They locked the gates and refused to let us out. The company may be able to stop us from going out of the labour camp by closing the gates on us, but they cannot kill our spirit.
"The company told us an official from the Labour Ministry had come to speak to us so there was no need to go to the ministry.
"But how can we be sure the person is from the ministry?"
Another worker said that a man who introduced himself as a Labour Ministry official asked the workers to put their grievances down on paper.
"He told us that only four among us should go with him to discuss and resolve the issue," he added.
"But we will not agree to this at any cost.
"Instead of just four workers going, four buses full of workers will go - this is what we have decided.
"What is the guarantee that these four workers who go with them will ever come back?
"We don't trust anyone - this is what we have learned from our experience.
"None of us are afraid of being sent home, but if we go then we need to go together.
"It is not fair to punish four people on behalf of more than a thousand.
"We are ready to leave Bahrain, but we should go together.
"How will the company make millions without us, who they treat as slaves?"
Those on strike include workers from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
They have complained that they are the worst paid among the company's labour camps and claimed camp supervisors addressed them as "slaves".
The company allegedly does not provide them heating facilities, while the workers say they only have one chance a week to see a doctor when he visits the camp.
Labour Ministry international and public relations director Subah Al Dossary yesterday told the GDN that a committee comprising officials from the Indian Embassy, Labour Ministry, the company and workers would be formed to resolve the issue.
"The Labour Ministry sent one of its health and safety officers as well as a labour relations officer to the workers' camp to investigate," he said. "This matter is of utmost importance and we will try to do our best to solve this soon and in a healthy manner."
A G P Zachariades official on Saturday confirmed the workers were demanding a pay rise and admitted they earned less than the BD100 being sought by the Indian government.
However, he refused to reveal details of their salaries.
Officials at both G P Zachariades and the Durrat Khaleej Al Bahrain Company, which is behind the Durrat Al Bahrain development, declined to comment yesterday.
The Durrat Khaleej Al Bahrain Company is 50pc owned by the Bahrain government, while the other 50pc is owned by Kuwait Finance House.
begena@gdn.com.bh
