THIRTY-EIGHT workers staged a protest outside the Indian Embassy in Adliya yesterday, claiming they had not been paid for five months. The men, from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, later lodged a police complaint against the Manama-based construction company amid a string of other allegations.

The carpenters, painters, masons and labourers, claim that they were not allowed to go to hospital when they were sick and their visas and CPR cards had not been renewed for three years.

The workers, paid between BD80 and BD90, have been working for the company for three to 10 years.

"We are suffering as the company didn't pay us for five months," said K S Prasad, one of the workers.

"We have families and it is so difficult to convince them that the owner didn't pay us, as they think that we are working outside India and therefore are earning a lot of money.

"They don't know what's our condition here.

"We don't get what we deserve."

Workers alleged that their salaries had been cut without warning and were forced to do overtime without payment.

They also claimed company officials had verbally and physically abused them when they asked for their dues or to go home on annual leave.

Workers claimed when one of the men's mother died three months ago he was not allowed to travel home for her funeral and instead was attacked by his sponsor.

Complaint

Mr Prasad said nine workers had earlier protested outside the Indian Embassy on September 27 and were asked to lodge a complaint at the Labour Ministry.

"This time we thought enough is enough, so we dared to come to the embassy and complain against our employer," he said.

"We are working without valid visas and our families are experiencing problems as well because we are not sending them money."

Embassy labour department officer K R S Nair met the workers and accompanied them to Umm Al Hassam Police Station, where they lodged a harassment complaint against their sponsor.

"They filed a case against the sponsor," he confirmed.

"Our Ambassador Dr George Joseph has already spoken to officials at the police station.

"Voice FM 104.2 is providing food to all the workers and we are providing shelter to them for some time before they go back to their labour accommodation in Adliya.

"Police have promised to give protection to them while they stay there."

A Labour Ministry spokesman urged the workers to lodge a case at its complaints department.

He said the sponsor would be called to explain himself and required to solve the problem within 14 days.

The spokesman said if he failed to show up, the ministry would send the case to the court and he would be arrested. Company officials were yesterday unavailable for comment.