A group of seven Indian truckers called off their 20-day strike Sunday after a foreign social organization intervened to settle the labor dispute between the workers and their company over violation of contract terms. The truckers who traveled from Jeddah to Riyadh to lodge a formal complaint at the headquarters of the company had a vagabond life of 20 days in Riyadh, living on the street. But the sweet settlement brought them back the long-missed smile. The labor dispute came to a close Sunday when Latheef Thechy, a member of Kerala Relief Wing (KRW), a social organization, intervened between the workers and their company management. Thechy said his organization brought the workers and the company around the same table for five hours negotiating their contract terms signed in India. Their meeting was successful in which they found it fair to honor their contract obligations. The company agreed to send five truckers on emergency leave if they deposit SR2,000 each, refundable when they report back to work, said Thechy. The workers also agreed on a basic monthly salary of SR650 and SR200 in food allowance. The company would also offer a weekly day-off and overtime pay in case the workers decided to work on that day. The company would also provide a free accommodation and health care insurance to the employees, Thechy said. The newly-recruited workers, who are not yet entitled to vacation leave, agreed to the demands of the company. Nasr Udheen, one of the truckers, has agreed to be transferred to Madina to work in the company's branch there. Fellow trucker, Pawan Kumar, will be stationed in the company's head office in Riyadh. KRW is part of Federation of Kerala Associations in Saudi Arabia (Fokasa), an umbrella organization of 22 social outfits actively engaged in offering social, charitable and other services to the distressed Indian workers in the Kingdom.
