Silicon Valley: Scores of Indian immigrant workers appeared in a federal courtroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma, alleging they were held in "virtual slavery" by a local manufacturer.

The 52 skilled workers, including welders, fitters and electricians, have accused the John Pickle Co, a $ 15 million manufacturer of specialised oil industry equipment, of paying them less than the minimum wages and confining them to factory dormitory against their will.

In his opening statement, the worker's attorney Robert Canino compared his clients' situation to those in John Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath", which depicts the lives of migrant workers who travel from Oklahoma to California during the Great Depression.

"They can easily be given a place to live, little bit of food, they might not know what they were missing and that's exactly what happened to the folks coming from India," the television KOTV reported.



"No comments", said John Pickle and his defense team as they walked out of Tulsa's Federal Building without commenting on the case. Pickle's lawyers say the immigrants brought here from India to work for the John Pickle Company, were trainees and not employees. And under the Fair Labour Standards Act, doesn't necessarily entitle them to minimum wage.

PTI