The only concern for some businessmen is making money. This may be acceptable, but not when it happens at the expense of workers who are denied their meager salaries. Many foreign workers continue to complain of salary delays that last for several months or even a full year. The contractors always allege that they have not been paid for the work they have been contracted to do.
However, if inquiries are directed to those above the contractor, they invariably tell you the contractor was paid his full dues on time. The problem is of course that the contractor sees the money as his personal property rather than something to be shared with his employees. Some contractors even use the money to invest in shares and real estate — no wonder their workers are not paid.
Contractors usually receive payments throughout the duration of the contract with the last payment being made upon completion of work. Instead of paying the workers every month, the contractor tells them he has received no payment and that they will have to wait until he receives the money.
Imagine a worker whose salary is only SR400 a month. Imagine that he hasn’t been paid for 10 months. Faced with such an appalling situation, it is no wonder that some workers feel driven to do any kind of extra job or even begging and stealing. What else can they do?
One solution to this problem is for those who have engaged the contractor to handle the matter themselves. They should commit themselves to paying the workers’ salaries and do so by withholding funds instead of paying the full amount directly to the contractor. This should be incorporated into the terms of the contract between the two parties.
The other problem is that this behavior harms the country’s reputation with those who engage the contractors being accused of failing to pay. This is untrue; the contractors have been paid and simply put the money into their own pockets, refusing to pay the workers.
Some businesses directly contribute to damaging the Kingdom’s reputation and giving a bad idea about our customs and economy. The result is that many look at us with reservation and suspicion. Those who engage contractors should act now by stopping payments to all contractors who are guilty of not paying their workers.
