JEDDAH, 26 June 2005 — As many as 300 employees of Al-Rajhi Commercial Foreign Exchange assembled in front of the office of the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) here seeking action to get their dues from the money exchange firm or jobs in Bank Albilad.
Al-Rajhi Commercial, one of the eight money exchange firms that merged to form Bank Albilad, had laid off more than 1,000 Saudi and non-Saudi employees after it closed down 118 of its 130 branch offices.
Abdul Rahman Al-Sharif, former investment account manager at the money exchange, said the affected employees had lodged complaints against the firm at the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, the Labor Office and NSHR a month ago.
“So far no action has been taken. We have not received our rights nor have been transferred to Bank Albilad,” he told Arab News.
Muhammad Al-Qarni, another affected employee, said they had been denied their dues for the last three months. “I don’t have money to pay house rent and the auto company has impounded my car for not paying instalments for the past three months,” he added.
Lawyer Khaled Abu Rashid said the employees of the money exchange had been promised of their financial rights after the merger.
“Once our clients win the case they will receive all their salaries and other benefits,” he told Arab News. Abu Rashid said he was defending the case of the affected employees free of charge.
Abdul Rahman Al-Rajhi, deputy chairman of the money exchange, said he was totally unaware of the case as he was away from work for some time. He, however, promised that he would answer the questions of journalists tomorrow.