Over hundred Sri Lankans working for a Jordanian company have struck work from March 1. Chief of the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau Kingsley Ranawaka said that out of the 238 Sri Lankans working for a company in Jordan, 118 had struck work from the beginning of the month demanding to be sent back to Sri Lanka.

The strike commenced when the company had a power cut, he said on Thursday (19). However, company officials had pledged to reinstall the power within three days, which they had done. But since then the workers have been on strike demanding to be returned to their motherland.

However, the rest of the Sri Lankans have continued work amidst threats by the strikers, he said.

The Sri Lankans were joined in the strike by 147 Indians working for the company. The company has a work force of 646, including Nepalese and Bangladeshis as well. The Sri Lankans demand that they be sent home while the company heads hold that those who have completed their three-year agreement period could go home, but those who have not, should either stay back or pay the company as they have not fulfilled conditions in the agreement.

The Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau (SLFEB) held that the Sri Lankan Embassy in Jordan had been informed of the situation only after it got out of hand. "What we fear is that the employers may resort to legal action or have the strikers arrested for breaking employment laws. They should realise that unlike in Sri Lanka, they cannot resort to strikes at the drop of a hat," the Chief said.