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from the medical and government sector workers, industrial workers were the only group of workers
who experienced a dignified return from the destination countries. The data reflects the loss of jobs in
the sectors where Indian workers dominate in the Gulf, such as the construction, service, hospitality
and industry, and domestic services.
2.2. From Joblessness to victims of wage theft
39.1% of the workers among the people who lost their jobs have reported that they have faced nonpayment of wages or dues and reduced wages. Among the migrants who managed to work during the
initial months of the pandemic also faced non-payment of wages. 8.8% of the workers who had lost
jobs worked during the pandemic without any wages, and 18.2% of the workers had witnessed a
reduction in wages.
DURATION OF STAY AND WAGE THEFT
Another surprising characteristic of the returned migrants who lost their jobs during the
pandemic was their period of stay in the destination country. There is a general feeling
among the public and policymakers that the freshers struggled to keep their jobs at the
destination country. However, the data indicate that 65.5% of the respondents who lost
their jobs had spent more than two years in Gulf countries. Among the returnees, 30.3%
who lost their jobs had work experience of more than ten years in the Gulf.
Duration of the stay has a direct relationship with non-payment of wages and dues. More
than 60 percentages (61.1%) of the workers who did not receive their wages and benefits
had work experience in Gulf for more than five years. It indicates that workers who are
eligible for higher amounts of dues and benefits were denied the payment. On the other
hand, most of the newly joined or workers with fewer years of service received the
benefits and wages before leaving the country of work. Many elder and experienced
workers rushed back home without even negotiating with the employers on the unpaid
benefits since they were more prone to the virus.
Breakdown of dues and other benefits shows that 5 percent of the workers who lost jobs were denied
all benefits such as leave salary, severance pay, air ticket, and other benefits. During the survey, most
respondents were reluctant to criticize the employers and supported them by citing the financial crisis.
In this case, the workers were not aware of their labour rights, and they made no attempts to claim
their financial rights during the pandemic.
2.3. Types of Wage theft
The common types of wage theft experienced by the repatriated Indian workers during the pandemic:
False promises on payment and dues - Verbal agreements on payment of dues within a
stipulated period after which the workers cannot make claims as per the domestic laws.
Forceful agreements - Employers forced the workers to sign an agreement that confirmed
receipt of all dues and payments. The workers signed such agreements under duress a few days