Around 2500 foreign workers including 1300 Nepalis have been laid following the downfall of United Cleaning Company based in Qatar. Of those rendered jobless, 300 are Nepali women, The Kathmandu Post reported.
Migrant workers from Nepal, Philippines, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and African countries were employed in the company.
It is learnt that the company failed to provide salary to its staff for the past three months and has not renewed the visa of migrant workers.
Victims have filed a complaint at Qatar’s Labour Department and court to deport them to home country with pending salary.
Nepalis have urged the Nepali Embassy to either arrange for their deportation or to provide them release document so that they can work in other companies.
Although the company took contracts of cleaning jobs and outsourced assistant employees to government entities like ministries, court, bank, police, army including big private firms, the exact reason for the company’s downfall has not been shared with the employees
“The company was in trouble for a long time. It failed to renew the visa of most of the workers,” Renu Karki of Ilam told the Post, “Furthermore, the company has stopped giving salary since August.”
It has been learnt the company has placed male and female workers in separate camps and electricity supply has been cut off to one of the camps housing female workers.
“No company representative has come in contact. We are forced to live in scorching heat without air conditioners,” said Karki. “Most of our friends are buying foods with the money they have saved to return home. Those without money are receiving support from friends and relatives,” she said.
Although Qatar’s Labour Department has asked the company’s operators to furnish clarification, they have not reached the Department.
Labour Counselor at Nepali Embassy Girija Sharma has said that they are making utmost effort to rescue the stranded workers. “We immediately started communication with the company soon after the workers complained of their plight. Though the company was positive in resolving the problem in the beginning, it has gone out of contact since then,” she said. “Now we are coordinating with the Labour Department,” she added.
