JEDDAH, 19 January 2007 — A group of job-seeking women in Jeddah complained that a local recruitment office misled them by promising jobs with salaries of up to SR4,000 a month but only getting them jobs on commission. They also said that they had to pay fees to the recruitment agency for those positions.

Samah Shaman, one of the women, told Al-Watan newspaper that she answered the ad posted in a local newspaper. She said she and her friends went to the office and paid fees that varied between SR600 and SR1,400 in return for assurance that they would be employed in six days.

A month later, the agency called and said they needed to pay SR1,000 to enroll in a training course. Three months later, Shaman said, the agency found her a job, assuring her a salary. But she later found out that the company only paid on a commission basis.

The recruitment agency also demanded SR2,500 for completing the first month on the job. “How could they ask for this amount when I didn’t get a salary?” said Shaman.

Tahani Mansur, another of the women who said they felt ripped off, wanted to know why companies can offer jobs in the paper that they don’t have, and why the recruitment agency had different fees for customers for the same service.

Dalal Mansur said she applied seven months ago at this particular recruitment office to no avail.

“I paid SR100 for registration, SR300 for tests — English and computer skills — and SR900 for a training course,” she said. “But I still don’t have a job.”

The manager of the office said their role was limited to finding jobs for the clients. “The office is not responsible whether the girls are paid or not,” said an agency spokesman.

The manager added that they provided training courses to explain to the new employees their rights in the workplace. He, however, said that the office did not guarantee high salaries to any of those who applied.

He complained that many of those who apply at his office are not serious enough. “They do not follow up the procedures. They even leave out the jobs that we get for them.”

Khalid Abu Rashid, a lawyer, said that the girls have the right to lodge complaints with the municipality.

“The municipality will ensure whether the office did everything legally or not and will verify whether it has the license to receive any payments from those registering at it.”