Laboring and Living Abroad: Too Distant Owners and Too Close Workers

Abstract

For few decades, 'abroad' has become a catchphrase among Nepali people. Of several destinations abroad, Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, etc stand as the comfortable choice for many lower class job aspirant Nepali people. Nepali expatriates working in these countries send huge amount of money to their country as remittance. The remittance sent by these wage-workers has been the key source to sustain their family life back home. Contribution of the remittance both to their household and national economy is widely felt but how stylish is worker's abroad life is yet to be properly visualized. Notwithstanding this, the necessary antagonism between workers and owners in course of production in this capitalist age, which most of the Marxist literature insists, needs to be verified. This paper, therefore, seeks to explore the working scenario of migrant workers in their respected workplace and their living scenario at their rented room. Significant attention in doing this is paid on the process through which workers are assigned to perform types of tasks. Also, information about their work-hour and off hour life, including their relationship with roommates is obtained via observation and interview. It finally concludes that the relationship between workers and owners is not that of an exploitative type, but the relationship among workmates and roommates is undeniably exemplary.