Chennai: Majority of migrant workers from Tamil Nadu engaged in the unorganised sector in Oman have been cheated by greedy agents after being lured with decent salary and living atmosphere there, according to a recent study by Peace Trust, an organisation working for the cause of migrant workers.

The "fake" agents also collected about Rs one lakh as their commission for recruitment. However, the workers were not even given half of the salary promised by the agents, the Trust said in a press release in Chennai.

Thousands of workers from Tamil Nadu were engaged in construction industry, oil recycling plants and also as sweepers and road cleaners.

Most of the migrants were staying in camps and in one such camp in Gava, the migrants were complaining that they were not getting salary for the last eight months even after working about 12 hours a day.

The workers told a two-member team of the Trust, led by its Chairman Paul Bhaskar, that they had also filed cases against their employers in the labour court.

The migrants have reported the matter to the Indian High Commission and it had given an assurance to them that efforts would be taken for payment of at least six months salary from their employers, the release said.

The Peace Trust team undertook a field visit to Oman from March 22 to 26.