JEDDAH: To the relief of stranded Filipinos and other expat workers in Saudi Arabia, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman has issued a series of directives to the concerned agencies to resolve once and for all the cases of distressed workers of companies who have contracts with the government.
The king has directed the Minister of Labor and Social Development to take necessary measures, in coordination with the Ministry of Finance, to oblige contracting companies to pay the salaries of their employees in accordance with the government’s Wage Protection Program that ensures workers’ salaries are fully paid, Arab News quoted Minister of Labor and Social Development Minister Mufrej Al-Haqabani as saying.
According to SPA, the directive is for the government not to release what it owes those companies unless the Labor Ministry confirms that the companies have paid on time what they owe their employees.
The king’s directives come amid increasing complaints by workers that they have not been paid their salaries for months. Construction giant Saudi Oger, for one, has been the subject of complaints by thousands of its workers for not paying their salaries for the past nine months.
The issue came in focus when hundreds of expatriate workers of the company marched on the streets in Jeddah to air their grievances, saying that Saudi Oger management has simply ignored them, said the Saudi Arabia-based news portal.
In one of his directives, King Salman has reportedly authorized the labor minister to also immediately address the housing and accommodation services of the distressed workers by contracting with companies that provide such services.
While the government of the Philippines and India as well as their communities in the kingdom have rallied behind their compatriots at Saudi Oger by providing them food, those of other nationalities have reportedly not gotten the same attention.
According to the king’s directive, the cost of these services for the distressed workers is to be deducted from the employers’ receivables from the government.
The king also reportedly commissioned the labor minister to coordinate with the Saudi Arabian airlines to transport foreign workers who wish to return to their countries and to charge the cost to their employers. The labor minister is also authorized to contract with legal consultancy agencies to pursue the financial claims of the workers in local courts.
In the case of workers in distress who wish to leave the kingdom, the king directed the Passport Department to facilitate issuance of final exit visas in coordination with the Foreign Ministry and relevant agencies, reported Arab News.
An amount of SR100 million is to be deposited in the Saudi Arab Fund account for use to fulfil the king’s orders. The fund is to be under the disposal of the labor minister, who will provide the Ministry of Finance with all details of the expenditures and the amounts spent. The Finance Ministry will then deduct the spent amounts from the floundering companies’ accounts.
The king also reportedly instructed the labor minister to meet with representatives of countries concerned to discuss the issue of unpaid salaries and to explain the steps taken by the kingdom to address such issues.
Al-Haqabani underlined that the Saudi Labor Law ensures the rights of all workers operating in the Kingdom, and stipulates that all employers should transfer salaries to their workers’ bank accounts on time, without any delay, corresponding to the labor wages protection program.
He added that the ministry periodically follows up on these transactions in order to ensure the companies are abiding with the governing regulations.
The minister also reportedly said that as per regulations, workers of companies which fail pay their employees’ salaries for three consecutive months are allowed by law to transfer to another employer without their employers’ consent, and the workers have the right to pursue their financial claims in courts.
Al-Haqabani also noted that the ministry recently launched a new service called “Your labor adviser,” which provides free consultation to the workers and businessmen over labor-related issues and disputes.
Moreover, the minister reportedly said that the ministry, in collaboration with telecommunication companies, provides newcomers with SIM cards free of charge, which also includes directions and guidelines to give them a better idea about the labor sector in the Kingdom and about their rights.
“The ministry’s call center is operating around the clock and receives inquiries from labourers. The operators speak the most common languages of workers in the Kingdom,” the minister was quoted as saying by Arab News.
With regards to Saudi Oger’s distressed workers, the minister reportedly said the ministry has been following up on the case and found that the company has failed to fulfill its obligations towards its employees in terms of housing, accommodations and salaries, adding that the ministry, as per the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman will take all necessary means to ensure the workers’ rights are fully fulfilled.
“We again reiterate that this is an individual case mishandled by one company and does not reflect a general image of the labor sector in the kingdom. It is a private sector company, which failed to abide by the labor regulations and will be held accountable for its violations of the workers’ rights,” the Saudi Arabia-based news portal quoted the minister as saying.
