Working abroad

The tragic lives of Pakistani workers in Saudi Arabia seem to be showing no signs of getting better despite promises from both the Pakistani and Saudi governments to take up the matter with utmost priority. The promises seem to have only been made for public consumption as even the Overseas Pakistanis minister has decided that there is no need to visit Saudi Arabia to find a way out of the crisis. Low global oil prices have been reported to be behind the sudden closure of major construction sites across the Saudi kingdom which has meant that construction workers across the country have remain unpaid for anywhere between three and 18 months. After a measly original grant of only Rs28 million which was rejected even by workers who had been living without food for months, the government has now approved a Rs500 million grant. This is expected to ensure that cheques of Rs50,000 are given to every family with family members struck in Saudi Arabia.

With at least 8,500 Pakistani workers confirmed to be suffering from this situation, the amount is likely to still be too little unless the Pakistani government is able to use its close ties with the Saudi government to secure a better deal for its workers. The trouble is that the Saudi government itself is not entirely innocent in the matter, with many construction companies not paid by the Saudi government. With an estimated 4.3 million Pakistani workers in Saudi Arabia, the current numbers seem too little given the scale of the reported economic downturn in the country. The current information is limited to two companies. The crisis is probably much bigger; and the involvement of the higher echelons of government was required. Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia are the single biggest source of remittances for Pakistan, at around $6 billion per year. Why the issue is not more of a priority belies both economic and humanitarian logic. The larger tragedy is the failure of international governments to negotiate stronger labour protections for their workers in Saudi Arabia. It is known that protesting workers would find themselves in jail or worse. The only alternative available is to go to their country’s embassy, which in the Pakistani case seems to have known about the issue for a while but stood silently before media broke the story. Repatriation to Pakistan is being proposed as a solution but their salaries must be paid before repatriation takes place. The dream of working abroad has become a nightmare for thousands of Pakistani workers in Saudi Arabia. The government needs to do more to fulfil its obligations to its citizens.