‘Wage theft,’ a bane of Gulf returnees

A survey among 3,345 Keralite migrant workers concludes that 11% of them have been forced to return without severance package and wages for several years, with the amount translating to ₹62.58 crore

As many as 11% of migrant workers from Kerala who were forced to return from Gulf countries during the COVID-19 pandemic have not got their wages, according to a study on wage theft conducted by the Centre for Indian Migrant Studies (CIMS). The report points at remittance loss to Kerala owing to this, which is a cause for worry as remittances make up more than a quarter of the State Gross Domestic Product. The survey was conducted among 3,345 migrant workers who either returned home or are stranded abroad after being abandoned by their employers. A total of 397 workers out of them, making up more than 11% of the surveyed, were found to be victims of ‘wage theft,’ signifying termination without notice and withholding or deduction of wages and other benefits. Out of them, 90% belong to the construction sector, 2% manufacturing, 2% transportation and 2.5% comprising other sectors such as domestic work, retail, and medical. According to figures maintained by NoRKA Roots, the field agency of Department of Non-Resident Keralites, a total of 15.36 lakh migrant workers returned until July 15 this year since the outbreak of the pandemic, out of whom 10.98 lakh indicated job loss as reason for return.