The economy page in Al-Yaum last week featured the Labor Ministry’s decision to penalize private businesses that delay paying expatriates. Don’t be surprised by the content of this decision because it is applied only to expatriates and not to Saudis. You may imagine the negative psychological and professional effects of such a decision on Saudis working in a job in which their salaries are also delayed.
It is not unusual for the Labor Ministry to make such decisions. We are not surprised at all because people have recently grown used to learning of new and poorly thought-through decisions. Don’t we all remember the decision to Saudize the gold markets and how that decision was then canceled? And then the decision to have Saudi women working as salespersons in lingerie shops. First it was put on hold and then canceled. Honestly, I don’t know whether these decisions were annulled or put on hold because of pressure. Maybe it was that the consequences were never carefully considered and so they ended up being canceled without ever giving a proper or sensible explanation.
In my opinion, the decision to penalize private businesses that delay paying expatriates is a bizarre one. What is even stranger is the way some businessmen have applauded and praised the decision. This is an indirect approval of the ministry’s neglect of the concerns of Saudi employees.
The ministry’s decision seems to underestimate the intelligence of many people and makes us feel that whoever is making these decisions is deliberately trying to harm Saudi citizens. How about having some decisions that protect the working rights of Saudis in the face of unfair and unjust employers? Is it logical to have decisions that force private companies never to delay paying expatriates but not to include Saudis in the same decision? Paying workers their dues is the obligation of every employer and is not something that only applies to non-Saudis.
The Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry commented on the issue with an irrelevant statement. It said that the Labor Ministry was a government sector that is responsible for expatriates working in the Kingdom and that it looks after their needs and works toward fulfilling them. All right. But what about the ministry’s responsibilities to Saudis?
I don’t disagree with the fact that it is the ministry’s responsibility to look after expatriates and ensure that they receive their financial entitlements. But it is also the ministry’s duty to look after the rights of Saudi employees. The ministry knows very well that there are thousands of Saudi men and women who have gone for a long time without receiving their monthly salaries.
The question remains: Why doesn’t the decision include Saudis? I sincerely hope the ministry will look at the rights of Saudi employees and bring them in line with the rights of expatriates.
