JEDDAH, 11 July 2006 — Shoura Council President Saleh Bin-Humaid approved yesterday a decision to award medical interns from King Abdul Aziz University back pay that had been deducted prematurely from their salaries.
The interns had been fighting for months to get back money that had been taken from their paychecks when KAAU prematurely implemented a national salary reduction of medical interns. Salaries were reduced from SR10,700 to SR6,000 per month. The salary reduction was to be implemented in September last year, but KAAU interns saw their paychecks shrink six months prior to that date. Since then they have been fighting in the courts to get back the balance owed to them.
One of the interns in Jeddah told Arab News that he feels just like any other Saudi fighting in the system. It’s been nearly a year since the group of interns began their struggle. They first began at the university administrational level, and then moved through the ministries of education and labor. In February the interns filed a lawsuit against the university. The court date was assigned in April, but that hearing was delayed until May at the request of KAAU’s lawyer.
“Nothing helped except one thing,” said the intern who did not want to be identified. “When we asked the help of King Abdullah, he listened to us as a concerned and loving father and things changed.”
The complaint made its way to the Shoura Council, which yesterday authorized the compensation to the interns.
There has been no official explanation for why a decision was made last year to reduce the pay of aspiring Saudi medical professionals across the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia is currently trying to Saudize its workforce, replacing foreign skilled workers.
Meanwhile, Shoura Council Secretary-General Saleh Al-Malik told the Saudi Press Agency that the committees of Health and Environmental Affairs have been reviewing the accomplishments of the Ministry of Health. The committees advised the ministry to issue its annual report within the first 90 days of the new year.
