Dubai, May 11: A group of 27 Asian workers, including several Indians, in Bahrain has to wait another month for the conclusion of a court case filed against their employer for having allegedly abandoned them.

The workers had filed the case in a criminal court nine months ago, claiming that their employer, Al Khaja Establishment, had abandoned them. They alleged that they had not been paid their salaries and had to live in unhygienic conditions.

The court has fixed June 17 as the date for the final defence hearing and the verdict is expected by the end of July, the Gulf Daily News reported.

The company, however, claimed that the workers - comprising drivers, painters, machinery operators and electricians from India, Nepal, Pakistan - had run away after they resigned in protest against allegedly unpaid wages.

"They are the ones who abandoned their company to work for others," stated Jassim Al Khaja, chairman of the company.

While the court hearing continues, the workers had to live in the company's dilapidated labour camp, in the West Eker area and have been surviving on charity handouts collected by the Migrant Workers Protection Society (MWPS).

Lionel Peters, who worked as an electrician in the company, said: "The lawyer told us the case would be over this month, but now we have been told that the case is next month. What are we going to do?"

Peters is asking for eight years' indemnity, leave salary for three-and-a-half years and unpaid salary for two months before his resignation.

Their Bahraini lawyer, Ahmed Al Qaheri, however, said that the court is the only option the workers have if they want all their dues cleared.

He added that a court hearing on May 9 went in favour of the workers.

There are over 130,000 Indians in Bahrain, many of them working as labourers on contract.