JEDDAH: Labor Minister Ghazi Al-Gosaibi has repeatedly urged employers to take necessary precautions to ensure the safety of their workers. The Labor Law bans employers from asking all employees (Saudi and guest workers) to work under circumstances that endanger their health.

Article 122 of the Labor Law says that employers must take necessary actions to ensure the heath of workers employed in the summer, when temperatures can easily break 50C (122F) at places like construction worksites in the middle of the day. For example, companies with employees who work outdoors must halt such work activities from noon to 3 p.m. during the months of July and August. Those hours may be made up with nighttime shifts.

Four months ago and based on Article 122 of the Labor Law, the minister also repeated the same warnings with a ministerial decision saying that employers have to take necessary precautions to protect employees from working in dangerous circumstances resulting from bad weather, however some companies still insist to have their work done regardless of regulations. The regulations are stated in local newspapers so as to oblige companies to replace the three peak hours from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. during July and August to nightshifts.

However, it is common to see some of the lowest-paid laborers — such as street cleaners — working through the heat of the day. In Madinah, a group of cleaning workers who did not want to be named out of fear of reprisals form their employer confirmed that their supervisors monitor their activities to ensure they continue to work through 2:30 in the afternoon, even during the two months when it is illegal to do so. “If our supervisor don’t find us at our locations, he cuts our salary,” said one of the workers trying to keep cool with a water-soaked head scarf wrapped around his head.

Construction laborers were seen in Madinah working from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. digging ditches for a public works project. They claim that their lunch and prayer breaks had been canceled recently, probably because the contractor is trying to complete the job on schedule. The crew manager nearby said that the workers are allowed to eat lunch from noon to 1 p.m.