The creation by the Labor Ministry of a new department for the protection of the rights of contractual workers in the Kingdom is an indication that the ministry is committed to ensure that the rights of these workers, who are guests of the country, are guaranteed and protected.
Foreign workers’ rights have for years been a contentious issue between the Kingdom and regional and international organizations. The relevant Saudi authorities have worked continuously issuing legislation and reviewing labor laws that ensure these are guaranteed and protected. The process has been a continuous one with the sole aim of ensuring that financial and human rights of the expatriate workers are protected by law.
The presence of a specialized department wholly devoted to monitoring, following up and ensuring the protection of expatriate workers’ rights is a step in the right direction. It shows that the ministry is indeed serious in fulfilling one of its basic duties; protecting workers’ rights. It is a measure that we hope would be followed by every ministry and government institution in the country.
Had all the other bodies concerned with expatriate affairs moved earlier and adopted the same approach taken by the Labor Ministry, we would have realized that contract workers needed security, protection and care. This is especially evident in light of the wrong perception we, Saudis, hold about foreign workers who are collectively judged on acts committed by a minority.
It is unfortunate that we tend to generalize whenever issuing judgment on these individuals. The mistakes and wrongdoings committed by a few apply to the majority who should never be held accountable for the acts of a few.
The Labor Ministry should be commended for moving to correct the situation and ensure that expatriate rights in this country are protected. This is a call for everyone in this country, officials and members of the public, to change the way we treat others. The expatriates working and living among us should be treated with proper respect. They, too, have dignity that should not be insulted or their rights usurped.
