11 of 47 workers stuck in Cameroon brought to Jharkhand

Ranchi: The Jharkhand government said 11 of the 47 workers stranded in Cameroon in central Africa were brought to the state and efforts were underway for the safe return of the remaining labourers.

The development comes after the state government filed FIRs against a Mumbai-based firm and some middlemen for alleged non-payment of wages to 47 workers from the state, who were stuck in the African country.

"Eleven out of 47 migrant workers from Jharkhand, stranded in Cameroon, were brought to the state as per instructions of Chief Minister Hemant Soren. All the workers were sent to their homes by the Labour Department. The return of the remaining 36 workers is also being ensured," a statement from the chief minister's secretariat said on Sunday.

Earlier this month, the labour commissioner had filed the FIRs at Hazaribag, Bokaro and Giridih police stations against middlemen and employers following a direction from Soren who had received complaints that these workers did not receive their wages for three months.

After the government took action, the process to make payment of wages to the workers was initiated, the statement said.

"The control room team has been continuously contacting the officials, the company and workers through email and phone, and the total outstanding amount of Rs 39.77 lakh has been paid to the workers," the statement said.

It alleged that the employers and middlemen sent these workers to Cameroon without registering them under the Inter-State Migrant Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979, and without obtaining the required licence.

The workers drew the attention of the CM for non-payment of their wages for three months, following which the State Migrant Control Room contacted the workers and the employers.

The state government has sought the contract and wage details of the workers, besides other documents.

Efforts were being made to ensure the safe return of workers and the Ministry of External Affairs has been informed about it, the statement added.