Contracting firms’ excuse against 5-day week rejected

Many large companies have begun implementing the two-day weekend for their employees but most contracting companies have rejected the idea saying it would lead to delays in the implementation of projects.
The Labor Ministry has said that the contractors’ reasoning was unacceptable and stressed that the two-day weekend would instead increase productivity. Many businessmen and businesswomen have agreed with the ministry’s viewpoint.
The contracting companies, however, fear if they did not implement the two-day weekend they would lose Saudi workers, who account for less than 10 percent of their workforce. The ministry’s wage protection program aims at encouraging Saudis to work in the private sector, where more than 80 percent of workers are foreigners.
Meanwhile, the ministry is still awaiting a decision from the consultative Shoura Council on applying the two-day weekend in the private sector.
In a related development, the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the ministry’s Nitaqat and wage protection programs were at variance with the country’s Labor Law and other regulations.
The ministry, however, rejected the chamber’s reasoning, and termed it “baseless.” The RCCI also opposed the ministry’s decision to increase the SR2,400 expat levy on every foreigner employed in a firm in excess of Saudi workers.
Three months ago the Human Resource Development Fund, an affiliate of the ministry, agreed to increase the government’s contribution for the employment of Saudis in a private firm from SR3,000 to SR4,000 per month, especially those working in green and platinum categories.
These companies will receive SR4,000 monthly in the first year, SR3,000 in the second year and SR2,000 in the third year for every newly employed Saudi. According to the ministry, 10 percent of private firms are in the platinum category and 40 percent in the green category.