Labor disputes on the increase

Labor Minister Adel Fakeih has reiterated that the ministry’s goal in implementing the new labor regulations is to provide employment opportunities for Saudi youth and to regulate the Saudi job market in a way that guarantees equality and transparency. These statements were made on the sidelines of an event, which took place at the King Fahd Cultural Center in Riyadh.
The ministry will also launch a wage protection system in establishments with a minimum of 3,000 workers starting Jun. 1, said Abdullah Al-Haqabani, undersecretary for planning and development at the ministry. 
Meanwhile, a source at the Ministry of Labor revealed that more than 120,000 complaints were filed by foreign workers against their employers, including companies, small establishments and individual sponsors in the Eastern Province since the beginning of this year.
About 43 percent of the complaints received by the ministry’s labor offices were related to delayed salaries, employers’ failure to renew residency permits, requests to change employers and demands for canceling false huroob (escape) reports. The source said 55 percent of these reports were referred to the Preliminary Commission for Labor Disputes due to the two parties’ failure to reach a settlement and resolve the conflict. The commission comprises three investigators who review the cases filed.
The official explained that workers with suspended work permits due to a complaint processed at the labor office can apply for a temporary work permit at the same office on condition they provide a letter from another employer that clearly states that the employee in question will work for the specific entity on a temporary basis until the case at the labor office is resolved.
Article 97 of the labor law stipulates that an employer must continue paying 50 percent of the worker’s salary if he is detained due to a problem that occurred or is related to the job he was performing. The employer is obliged to pay half the salary amount for no more than 180 days of detention. However, if the worker is detained for a period longer than 180 days and is proven innocent, then the employer must pay the remaining amount. If the employee in question is found guilty, he is not obligated to return the salaries paid him during the detention period unless the court orders him to do so.