HYDERABAD: In what could cheer Telangana workers heading to Gulf countries in search of jobs, the central government has restored the minimum referral wages to Gulf workers. Union minister of state for external affairs V Muraleedharan informed this in the Rajya Sabha on July 22 in response to a question by member MV Shreyams Kumar.
The Centre cut the wages by 30 per cent to 50 per cent in September 2020, a move which led to angry reactions from the workers and filing of a PIL in the Telangana high court.
The minister said the minimum referral wages for employment in six Gulf countries is the same now as it was in 2019-20. "For a brief period of 10 months, the wages were adjusted downwards to protect our employment in the Gulf. As the labour market stabilised, the earlier wages were made applicable once more," he said.
Bheem Reddy Mandha of Emigrants Welfare Forum said the workers were rejoicing over the decision to repeal the circulars on reducing the wages. There are 88 lakh Indian workers and employees in the Gulf countries who will be benefited by this decision, he said.
Telangana Gulf Workers Joint Action Committee led a movement and demanded abolition of the circulars. IT minister KT Rama Rao had made an appeal to the Centre on the issue, while TRS MP KR Suresh Reddy raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha. Bheem Reddy had filed the PIL in the high court.
