Migrant construction workers, abandoned in their thousands by Saudi employers in filthy desert camps during the kingdom's economic slump, say they will not accept a government offer of free flights home unless they receive months of unpaid wages. The plight of the workers...has alarmed their home countries and drawn unwelcome attention to the conditions of some of the 10 million foreign workers on whom the Saudi economy depends. The government says it is trying to resolve the situation by giving the workers -- who normally need their employers' permission to leave the country -- the right to go home and free transport back. It is also granting them special permission to stay while they look for other jobs. But workers say they fear that if they leave they will end up with nothing at all.

In July, Oger stopped providing food, electricity, maintenance and medical services at several of its camps...They sleep six to eight to a tiny room...eat food rations provided by the Labour Ministry or their embassies...no regular supply of clean drinking water...buy bottled water with their own money...As the salary delays have worsened, frustrated workers have in some cases staged rare public protests...Saudi Labour Minister...told Reuters on Wednesday that several distressed local firms, including Saudi Binladin Group, had now started paying overdue wages...Oger is the only company still broadly withholding payments.