Muscat: Escorted by police, some 300 workers from NCC (Nagarjuna Construction Company) International have started 80km walk from Quriyat to reach Muscat for taking their grievances against the Indian company in Oman to the Manpower Ministry in Muscat.

Over 2000 construction workers are on strike for the last five days. "The strike started with the non-payment of salaries for the last two months," a worker told Gulf News on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retribution.

He added that last Tuesday the company paid them their dues. "The money is transferred but we are not withdrawing until our pending demands are met with," he added.

According to him, since the company began applying country's revised labour laws, the workers' overall income had gone down. "Earlier we were made to work 10 hours with two-hour overtime plus overtime for working on Friday also," he said.

However, now the workers are paid according to nine-hour a day for five-day-a-week work. "We came here leaving our families back home what would we do sitting in the camp for two days, rather work overtime and earn some money," he argued.

His pointed out that with their expenses here each worker was left with only around 35 riyals at the end of the month. "What's the point in working here for only 35 riyals? He wondered.

Echoing the sentiments of the majority of the Indian workers, he said that if the company wants to follow the new labour laws and not give overtime, they need to raise the salary. Another worker also complained about the discrepancies. "Some are getting 65-70 riyals," he said, demanding that the company restore parity among all workers. "At least they should respect seniority of some of us working here for more than two years."

He said that the workers are demanding increase in salary or be allowed to go home. "The company is not letting anyone go and some are requested to continue even after expiring of visa," he added.

After the salary was paid, the road work at Al Amarat site began. "Yes, workers on the Amarat road work site have started work," he said.

However, work on housing project for those affected by tropical cyclone Gonu in 2007 in Quriyat has come to standstill with NCC workers refusing to resume.

A worker, walking with his colleagues, said that they hope to reach Muscat by at least late evening.

This is the second strike by construction company workers at a public project where workers are feeling the pinch under the new Labour Laws that stipulate mandatory five-day week and nine-hour-a-day work schedule.

Last month BEB Consortium workers had gone on strike with similar demands. Some preferred to return home, some were sent back and others accepted to work under the new labour laws.