12/10/2020
Saudi returnees stake claim to severance pay - The Hindu
KERALA
Saudi returnees stake claim to severance pay
S.R. Praveen
S.R. Praveen
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM , OCTOBER 10, 2020 18:10 IST
UPDATED: OCTOBER 10, 2020 18:12 IST
Saudi law has clear norms for the package, but those who lost jobs during
pandemic are yet to bene t
Jayadev (name changed) had 25 years of experience behind him when the construction
company he was working for in Saudi Arabia laid him off following the COVID-19
pandemic. Though it was an unexpected blow, he had hoped that the end-of-service
benefits, as per the Saudi labour laws, would be a substantial amount, enabling him to
rebuild life back home.
But now, months after returning to his home in Kerala, there is no sign of the severance pay
coming in. He, along with many others, is knocking on all doors to get the money owed to
them for their long years of service.
Lawyers Beyond Borders
The issue of repatriated workers not getting benefits came to light when Lawyers Beyond
Borders (LBB), an international network of legal experts working for the rights of migrant
workers, filed a writ petition in the Kerala High Court earlier this year. Several workers who
had lost their jobs and did not get severance pay began contacting the LBB.
Among the complaints, quite a few were from the employees of Nasser S. Al-Hajri
Corporation (NSH). A total of 286 workers from here sent in complaints, out of which 188
were from Kerala, 39 from Bihar, 38 from Tamil Nadu, 17 from Uttar Pradesh, and four from
Odisha.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/saudi-returnees-stake-claim-to-severance-pay/article32821287.ece
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