Twenty-three Nepali migrant workers have been stranded in Dammam Jubail of Saudi Arabia after their company allegedly refused to pay them their salaries.

They have filed a case at the Saudi labour court about the matter. The judgment is pending.

Dipen Kumar Chhetri, of Kaski, said some of them had not received their pay since January.

“We decided not work without pay and stopped going to work from June 14,” he said. “The company responded by stopping our provisions.”

The Non-Resident Nepali Association has been providing food and other support to the troubled workers.

Rajesh Ramtel, of Gorkha, arrived to Saudi to work for the company in February. He said he had to pay Rs 80,000 to the Kathmandu-based foreign employment agency, Siddhartha Buddha Overseas.

“I have just arrived here and now I don’t have a job. The agency that brought me here tells me to continue working for the company. I don’t want to if I’m not getting paid,” Ramtel said.

All the workers had come to work for the company, owned by an Indian national, through Siddhartha Buddha Overseas.

They have appealed the authorities back home to take legal action against the employment agency.

“The people at Siddhartha Buddha Overseas should not be let off easily. They should be accountable for sending us to this company,” said Yognarayan Chaudhary, of Nawalparasi.

Stranded

Mahal Singh Rai, Khotang

Laxman Bista, Khotang

Sambhu Kumar Yadav, Dhanusha

Dipen Kumar Chhetri, Kaski

Bishwonath Chamauriya, Kaski

Ramesh Raj Poudel, Kaski

Harkaraj Tamang, Kaski

Rajesh Ramtel, Gorkha

Jhal Bahadur BK, Baglung

Yamlal Bharati, Rolpa

Ganga Ram Chaudhary, Dang

Yognarayan Chaudhary, Nawalparasi

Kumar Gurung, Nawalparasi

Bikram Kumar Shrestha, Nawalparasi

Ramayan Kewat, Nawalparasi

Yam Bahadur Rana, Nawalparasi

Bal Bahadur Thapa, Tanhaun

Dil Bahadur Ale, Tanahun

Sukadev Chaudhary, Bara

Ramnath Bachhar, Bara

Siri Chaudhary, Bara

Bharat Chaudhary, Bara

Khadak Chadar, Rukum