JEDDAH: Some companies in Saudi Arabia have failed to pay salaries of their employees, which is totally unjust, a stark violation of their rights and an act that harms the reputation of the Kingdom, an official has said.
“Such practices must be stopped,” Arab News quoted Nidal Radwan, chairman of the National Committee for Labor (NCL), as saying.
He reiterated that owners of such firms must realize that workers have rights and that they do not work for free.
Delaying payments is a violation of their rights, of religion, of the law and of all international norms, he reportedly said, adding that laborers who are deprived of their salaries must avoid damaging public and private property.
Radwan was quoted as saying that the measures taken by Labor Ministry against employers who refuse to pay their workers’ wages are not enough, and there should be strict punishment, including prison term, shaming and fines after all payments are settled, to deter further such violations.
He reportedly said the laborers’ right to receive payments for their work is enshrined in the labor law, and employers should not delay payment of salaries under any circumstance, with the exception of cases when they declare bankruptcy.
Employers who do not pay wages have no right to ask employees to work, and workers have the right to resort to all legal procedures in this regard, he was quoted as saying by Arab News.
Workers have families and social and financial obligations. They rely on their wages to meet their expenses, Alhyat quoted him as saying.
