Lawyers from Ahmed Zaki Yamani law firm are seeking an injunction because they are not convinced the sale of the factory in Gholail district will lead to the laborers being reimbursed what they are owed.
“The auction needs to be stopped to ensure unpaid workers get their money. There is no clear clause in the new selling document that will guarantee overdue payments to these workers,” law consultant Faris Al-Otaibi told Arab News Tuesday.
“By law the laborers’ overdue payment is considered a priority, and we are looking into stopping this auction from proceeding.”
However, the situation is worsening for a Pakistani worker who has not been paid his salary while working for the Saudi-owned factory for 11 years. Muhammad Aslam Chaudhary, who has been in Saudi Arabia for the past 18 years, is now appealing for help. “I just found out that my wife is sick,” Aslam told Arab News on Tuesday.
“She is diabetic and suffers from high blood pressure. Doctors in Pakistan discovered a tumor in her chest and she will need surgery soon. This will cost money and I have none.” He also said his daughter, who he has not seen in six years, is planning to get married but even that is in jeopardy because of his dire financial straits.
Waris Hussain, Abdul Aziz Shakir and Khaled Parvez are Chaudhary’s co-workers who have also been affected. When the factory's owner died, it was handed over to his son who was unable to pay the workers’ salaries.
“The factory has been handed over to the Saudi Industrial Development Fund. In the coming days a buyer will take over the factory and clear its debts, including the workers’ unpaid wages,” he said.
Chaudhary told Arab News that he owes more than SR17,000 to people in Jeddah alone. In Pakistan he owes more than SR10,000.
