Editorial: Protection of Workers

Stories of expatriate workers in the Kingdom being exploited and mistreated, of wages unpaid, of housemaids beaten, even raped, seem to surface all too often these days. That is no doubt due to increased reporting of such abuse rather than an actual increase. Whatever the case, the stories make for shocking reading when they are published in the press — as they should be — and unfortunately, there is a strong sense that not enough is being done to address the issue and solve the problem. There are some deeply unpleasant employers in the Kingdom and they should be punished and publicly shamed for their wicked and un-Islamic behavior.

In the UAE, a new law is being introduced to protect employees, especially foreign employees. It will ensure that they are paid on time, have medical cover and are not generally mistreated or otherwise exploited. Not that Saudi Arabia needs to follow suit. It has been a year since a new labor law was introduced in the Kingdom, imposing a number of obligations on employers, including written contracts, sick pay and, specifically for expatriate workers, the provision of housing and the payment of work-permit and residence fees. Where Saudi Arabia should perhaps look to the UAE is over its plans to appoint 700 inspectors to uphold the new law and protect workers’ rights. Last year’s change in the law in the Kingdom has not ended abuse, even though the law was extended to include domestic workers.

Exploitation and abuse of foreign employees are, in fact, anything but common in the Kingdom. If they were, expatriates would stop coming; the news would soon get around and no one would voluntarily leave home and family for a life of misery — and no economic benefit into the bargain! But, as we all know, people are queuing up to come and work in Saudi Arabia by whatever means possible — which is why the government this week announced tough new penalties for expatriates who harbor overstayers in addition to a ban on foreign recruitment for over 107 companies because of their failure to meet Saudization targets. It is an unending struggle to keep the number of foreign workers under control and, at the same time, create jobs for Saudis.

The problem in Saudi Arabia is not a dearth of employment law; it is the gap between what is available in law to protect foreign (and domestic) workers and the abilities of mistreated workers to access the law. It is not easy going to court if you are illiterate, unable to speak or understand Arabic, locked in a house all day or frightened that you will be beaten yet again if you do complain or, worse, expelled or even jailed for denouncing your employer who, you imagine, will be treated differently because he is a Saudi.

The creation of an inspectorate to monitor and enforce employment standards would be a bold reform and would go a long way to banish the impression, caused by the actions of a handful of bad employers, that foreign workers are badly treated in the Kingdom.