By Emma Amaize
WARRI—THE Indian workforce of troubled Delta Steel Company, DSC, Delta State, Thursday, downed tools, over hitches in payment of their salaries by the management.

The foreign workers marched to the administrative block of the company,  where they registered their grievances and called on other Indians who had not joined in the protest to do same.

However, their Nigerian counterparts did not join the protest. A Nigerian worker said: “An average Indian  earns five times what his Nigerian counterpart earns. So, there is no need for us to join them in their strike. It is like we are working in the same company but different rules of engagement for the workers.”

Vanguard gathered that some of protesting Indian workers were owed between three and six months, while others are owed for a year.

Thursday’s action of the Indian workers, is coming as 16 others had embarked on strike. The 16 Indians had voluntarily resigned and want management to pay their entitlements so that they can return to their country.

Efforts to get the company’s reaction to the development proved abortive, but its Acting Public Affairs Manager, Mr. Kes Agbosa, who spoke to Vanguard, Tuesday, on the  hunger strike by  Indian workers, said some of the workers had been paid.

He said the action of the Indian workers was embarrassing to the company. He claimed  that Mr. Ashok Bhute, who declared a total hunger strike on Monday, was paid his entitlements, last Saturday, two days before his latest action.