Frequently, an e-mail slips in my mailbox bemoaning of violations of labor laws of some hapless individual. And most of these letters have to do with the deliberate violation of established labor statutes. And occasionally I chose to include them in my column.

This is the story of R. Prakash, an Indian national, recruited to work for a large company involved with the setting up of telecommunications and sub-contracting their services to STC, our own Ma Bell. Along with some editing, I have chosen to withhold the name of the company, as Mr. Prakash had not included the company’s phone number for verification or rebuttal of his charges. His story then:

“I am an expatriate Indian. Although I have enjoyed my associations with my Saudi co-workers, I also feel that along with myself, there are many expats living silently here, never daring to speak of their suffering in Saudi Arabia at the hands of their employers due to the lack of effective process of labor mediations as was in my case.

“I am diploma graduate in Electrical Engineering from Bangalore University in India. I was aspiring for greater heights when I received an offer from this company, but very soon after my arrival to this company, I found the company was run very badly, the administration corrupted, and the internal bureaucracy an infected one.

“The first jolt came as the company started withholding nearly half of our monthly salaries for a few months to pay for our residency (Iqama) and visa charges. A group of us had approached the local Labor court to complain, but the company employed delaying tactics against us for nearly two years, and we concluded that it was only a waste of our money and precious time, and thus we withdrew the case.

“We then approached the Indian Embassy in Riyadh, but we found those we spoke to there not very encouraging in their responses. As a matter of fact, they seemed to have a very favorable impression of the company, and declined to take the matter any further.

“My assignment was in the Dirab satellite station, the prestigious highlight of STC’s telecommunication infrastructure. STC had already reimbursed the Iqama and Visa fees to the company but the company has swindled us out of that amount. I really pity everyone who is suffering from such deception.

“Now the company has asked me to go to Kharkhir, another satellite project very far from civilization, and extremely inaccessible by roads, etc. I have refused to go basically because I was told by the recruitment agency, where I had signed my letter of intent, that my place of employment would be limited to the city of Riyadh, which I had put as a condition.

“Secondly, I am still not over the unhygenic conditions afforded to us by my sponsors (lack of proper toilet or bed facilities) here, and thus can only imagine how worse off I would be in that remote area. And finally, if I have not received any extra duty money here for the hours worked beyond the required, then how can they give anything where the cost of essential commodities is 4 to 5 times higher than in Riyadh and our daily toil would be long and hard?

“I was asked to stop my work from the 17th of October of last year. Since then I have been waiting idly at my accommodations in Al-Suweidi, and for the past two months they have not paid me my salary. I find it incredulous to believe that such companies can get away with vile acts.

“I have appealed in many circles but all in vain. If I am not deported with all my dues at the earliest, then that is my plight. Meanwhile I pray that justice is done now at least during the holy days of Haj.”

Signed, R. Prakash

This was then his story. A loss to his dignity, and defrauded of his earnings. Just how much more can any man take, be he a Saudi or an expat? Those are questions for the members of our Labor Board, most of who are undoubtedly preparing to perform their Haj rituals in a few days.

— Tariq A. Al-Maeena, [email protected]

Arab News Features 8 February 2003