JEDDAH: After three years of court hearings, six out of 13 Saudi employees of SADAFCO, a major dairy company, were given back their jobs and had their bonuses paid for the whole period they spent during the case, Al-Madinah daily reported yesterday.
The employees were laid off from SADAFCO three years ago, but they complained and filed a case to get their jobs back.
The High Commission for Labor Dispute Settlement issued the order on Wednesday for the company to take back six of the employees.
Sameer Al-Zubaidi, legal representative of the employees, said that the commission, which is holding a court hearing next month, is still looking over the case of the remaining workers.
The reason for the layoffs was not reported, but Al-Zubaidi said that the workers were unjustifiably laid off and were suffering due to rules that prevent them from getting other jobs until their disputes are resolved with their previous employer.
Mohammed Khayad, one of the laid off employees, said that the commission’s resolution came as a fair payback for their long awaited case.
“We have regained hope again and we wish for the rest of our colleagues to get their jobs back,” he said. Takik Al-Ibrahim, the company’s lawyer said that the company would positively respond to the commission’s resolution regarding the employees and would give them their jobs back as well as pay their wages due.
