Labor Relations Authority: RIX uncooperative in Bodufinolhu probe

Labor Relations Authority (LRA) has stated that the authority isn’t receiving cooperation from that RIX, the contractor for the project in B. Bodufinolhu, in the investigation launched by the authority over the failure to pay wages to migrant workers employed by the company in Bodufinolhu.

LRA’s program officer Hood Abbas Ahmed told Sun that the authority instructed RIX to settle all outstanding wages in July.

“We sent instructions last month to pay the wages. The company has yet to provide any form of official response to us regarding the instructions,” said Hood.

He warned LRA will take action in accordance with regulations if the company fails to pay the wages despite the instructions.

Hood said LRA will take court decisions into account before taking action.

Disgruntled migrant workers in Bodufinolhu staged a violent strike over months of unpaid wages on July 2, during which they destroyed property, held local workers hostage and confronted the police.

19 workers were arrested by the police in connection to the case the next day.

They were initially held in custody of the police, but were later transferred to the custody of Maldives Immigration in August.

The legal representatives for the 19 workers recently lost a habeas petition filed with the Criminal Court seeking to free them from immigration detention.