JEDDAH, 7 January 2008 — The Labor Disputes Settlement Committee in Jeddah managed to resolve only 1,460 disputes of the 2,450 cases it received last year, said Ali Hassan Al-Ghamdi, the committee head.
Al-Ghamdi told Arab News yesterday that while the received disputes involved claims for SR40 million, the settled disputes involved SR14 million. He said Saudi employees received SR13 million when their disputes with their employers were settled.
“Normally, the disputes are settled without any inordinate delay. But some cases are dragged on indefinitely because of criminal connection. The final settlement in such cases can be made only after a court makes the appropriate judgment on the criminal aspect,” he said.
According to Al-Ghamdi, the committee has the authority to make a final decision in cases involving claims of less than SR10,000. “If the sum involved is higher, the dispute will then go to the Higher Commission for Labor Disputes in Riyadh after a preliminary hearing in Jeddah,” he said.
