Hundreds of Indian workers 'unpaid for months' in Qatar

Doha - The failure to pay them comes despite the introduction of a Wage Protection System (WPS) last November.

As many as 400 migrant staff working for an electrical company in Qatar have gone unpaid for up to four months, a leading figure in the Indian community said on Tuesday.
The workers are set to meet the Indian ambassador in Doha within the next two weeks to discuss their plight, Arvin Patil of the Indian Community Benevolent Forum charity told AFP.
"Around 300 to 400 people have not been paid," said Patil.
"We could give money if there were one or two people but 300 minimum is very, very difficult. We are interested in helping these people."
Indians comprise the largest single group of expatriates in Qatar, numbering around 545,000 out of a total population of some 2.5 million.
The failure to pay them comes despite the introduction of a Wage Protection System (WPS) last November, meant to ensure that wages are paid electronically.
Read: Indian workers in Saudi, PLEASE RETURN HOME: Sushma Swaraj
Bosses of firms which do not comply with the law face fines or imprisonment.
In July, a senior Indian embassy staffer said there had been no calls to help feed labourers stranded without wages after losing their jobs, as has happened elsewhere in the region.

• Qatar