Riyadh: Saudi authorities will deport 246 mostly Pakistani truck drivers from the kingdom after they took part in an illegal 10-day strike. The drivers, who worked for Saudi transport firm Al-Bassami, the largest in the Gulf, were part of around 300 strikers protesting over pay, Saudi daily newspaper Al-Watan reported today.
Some staff returned to work after the military intervened. Company chairman Mohammed bin Mohei al-Bassami branded the strike a "conspiracy" saying it had cost the company 15 million riyals (4 million dollars).
The newspaper quoted driver Naim Khan as claiming the firm acted illegally and withheld workers salaries but Bassami said staff were treated in line with their legal rights. The right to strike is not recognised by Saudi Arabia, which employs more than six million foreign workers, mostly from Asia, according to official estimates.
