Wages delayed? Take advantage of Sanad

SANE ADVICE: Labor Minister Mufrej Al-Haqabani has advised workers who have not been paid salaries to lodge complaints with the ministry.

RIYADH: Saudi employees who have not been paid salaries for three months or more should apply to social insurance and benefit from the Sanad system, Mufrej Al-Haqabani, minister of labor and social development, has said.
The minister was reacting to reports about the plight of Saudi Oger workers who have not got their salaries for over seven months.
“All those who are not being paid salaries for three months by their employers should report their grievances and lodge a complaint at the ministry which would help them and address their problems,” he said, adding that his ministry will pay greater attention to solving such disputes.
Al-Haqabani said Article 81 of the Labor Law allows the worker to leave his workplace without notice if the employer fails to honor the contract or pay the salary.
Only about two days ago, hundreds of employees of Saudi Oger, demanding unpaid wages from the company, were dispersed by police in Jeddah. They caused traffic disruptions and shut down a gas station.
Ahmed Al-Ghamdi, media director at the ministry’s branch in the Makkah region, said in a previous statement that the services of the company were suspended for violating the Wage Protection Law and that several visits were made to the company to finalize procedures related to payment of all employees and to end travel procedures for those with terminated contracts. He said standard fines and penalties were slapped on the company for such violations.