Cheated Malayali women return home from Saudi

Riyadh: Eight Keralite

women

, who were cheated by an agent, returned to India. The agent in Mumbai had promised them ‘cleaning jobs’ in

Saudi

Arabia. The subagent in Kerala had assured them SR 1,500 as salary with free food, accommodation and overtime allowances. The agent in Kerala had assured them that they would earn at least Rs 50,000 every month.

Ambily and Jincy from Alappuzha, Rosamma and Jiji from Kottayam, Thrissur native Sindhu, Kochiite Jessy Robert, Manju from Kottayam and Ernakulam resident Rosly landed in Saudi Arabia five months ago. Earlier they had worked as home nurses and cleaning staff at private hospitals in Kerala.

On arrival, they were taken to Abha, a hill station in the kingdom, and deployed to clean parks. Their colleagues revealed that their salary was SR 800 without any benefit. The company in Riyadh that employed them and the Mumbai-based recruiter had agreed on that amount. It was the agent in Kerala who had exaggerated their salary and benefits to recruit them. Realizing this, they filed a complaint before the manager and shunned work for the next three months. They expressed their desire to return home. Instead of sending them back, the company shifted them to a labour camp in Riyadh.

Meanwhile their relatives in Kerala, filed petitions before authorities in India. The embassy in Riyadh and Malayali activists intervened and resolved the issue. The sponsor agreed to pay three months’ salary and air tickets to return home.