Wage protection system to cover domestic workers

The Ministry of Labor’s wage protection system (WPS) will soon cover domestic workers, a ministry official said recently.
Director of the wage protection program at the ministry, Abdul Aziz Al-Nasser, was quoted as saying in local media that the ministry plans to include all workers under the system.
He was speaking to businesspeople at the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) recently.
The plan to include domestic workers reportedly angered RCCI members.
Al-Nasser said the system currently includes only businesses with over 3,000 employees.
“All entities can engage in this program that the ministry launched in compliance with the royal decree to oblige businesses with more than 3,000 workers, national or foreign, to transfer their wages to various Saudi banks.”
Al-Nasser said workers who arrived less than 90 days ago would not be included in the program, but it would still cover all foreigners exempted from deportation.
“The program will include all categories of salaries paid monthly, weekly or (piecemeal),” said Al-Nasser. He said an agreement is in place with the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) to provide workers with ATM cards.
He said the WPS would create an alert if a worker does not receive his or her salary, including information on the reason for the stoppage and amounts owed.
“The WPS will link to the passport department in future, so that any temporary or permanent departures of workers will be known and documented. There will also be a link to the social security department at a later stage,” said Al-Nasser.
A company that violates the rules of the system would be cut off from ministry services if it fails to comply within two months after inspections and evaluations had taken place.