469 Nepali workers in Saudi seek unpaid wages, repatriation

KATHMANDU: A total of 469 Nepali workers employed by Sendan International Company Limited in Saudi Arabia have been without pay for the past eight months, and efforts are underway to recover their unpaid wages and repatriation tickets through an insurance claim process, the Nepali Embassy in Riyadh has confirmed.

The embassy has formally initiated the process with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Labor, invoking government directives that allow workers to claim unpaid dues through insurance in cases where companies are bankrupt or have failed to pay wages for over six months.

Sendan International was completely shut down on December 24 last year.

“We have filed the insurance claim based on Saudi labor regulations that provide protection in such crisis situations,” said Labor Counselor Kabiraj Upreti, speaking to Kantipur. “We are in constant coordination with the Crisis Department of the Ministry of Labor to ensure the release of the workers’ dues and tickets.”

According to the embassy, a legal case has already been filed on behalf of the workers at the labor office. “Evidence of unpaid wages is required for the claim, and discussions between the labor office, company, and workers have taken place,” Upreti added. “The company is in no position to pay, and representatives from the immigration department have visited the labor camp to assess the workers’ conditions. We are hopeful this will lead to a resolution.”

Among the 469 workers, 302 have expressed a desire to return to Nepal, while the rest are seeking to transfer their employment to other companies within Saudi Arabia.

The embassy has already submitted the names of those wishing to return and requested exit permits from the labor ministry.

“We’re facilitating the employment transfer process for those wanting to stay,” Upreti noted. “We aim to repatriate workers before the upcoming Eid festival and are pushing for wage compensation through the insurance mechanism alongside the exit process.”

Most of the stranded workers are stationed at the company’s labor camp in Jubail, Eastern Province, and had served at the company for periods ranging from 2 to 16 years.

Currently, the company is only providing basic meals of lentils and rice, and their residency permits (Iqamas) have expired for 7 to 9 months.

“We have also requested the Saudi authorities to waive penalties related to expired permits so that exit processes can proceed smoothly,” said Upreti.