A group of foreign construction workers protesting outside the Microsoft data centre in Noord-Holland because they had not been paid may now be paid after all.

On finishing the work, the workers who are mostly from Romania, returned to their country, expecting payment to follow swiftly. When this didn’t happen a group of some 80 workers made the 2,000 kilometre journey back to the Netherlands to claim their money in person.

Some 120 people are still waiting to be paid wages totalling some €1.3 million, workers at Friday’s protest told NH Nieuws.

Microsoft has denied liability, stating that it paid its contractor but that one of the subcontractors had gone bust. “We are not a party in this conflict but we are supporting the parties involved in finding a solution,” a spokesman told the broadcaster.

On Tuesday Mace Group in London which has taken over subcontractor AC PLC’s responsibilities said the workers would at least receive part of the wages they are owed, and that it would help workers retrieve the rest.

The men have since left the data centre premises, saying that if they money comes through they would “go home and party”. “If not, we’ll be back”, they said.

Last week, unreliable subcontractors also hit the headlines when a group of Romanian workers laying fibre optic cables were found to be underpaid and working too many hours.