Cleaners say employers violating agreements

A number of cleaners in Jeddah have demanded that their employers comply with the terms of the signed contracts regarding salaries, medical insurance and annual leave dates, a local newspaper reported.
They called on competent authorities to intervene in order to safeguard their rights, but the Jeddah Secretariat refused to interfere, saying that there are competent bodies that receive their complaints.
One worker, Noor El Islam from Bangladesh, said he agreed with a labor office in his home country to buy a visa for a large sum of money due to living standards there with a salary of not less than SR 1,500, medical insurance and accommodation. Upon arrival in Jeddah, he was surprised to find that the salary was SR 250 without any benefits and that he was confined to a room with more than 14 people.
Another worker, Brad, demanded that the Jeddah Secretariat, the body charged with the task of supervising cleaning companies, solve workers problems which involve delayed payment, vacation issues and crowded accommodation. He said that workers of various nationalities live in the same room which leads to a number of problems.
He claimed that the company he works with refuses to give them residency permits (iqamah), which restricts their movements and hampers their various activities.
An official with on of the cleaning companies who did not want to be identified said congestion in accommodation is not a problem, citing that regulations stipulate that each room be occupied by four workers and maintaining that these workers are still in the training process.
Kateb Al-Shamari, a lawyer, said these workers have the right to demand whatever their contracts say.
"Any worker can submit a written complaint to the employer. If he does not respond, then the applicant should resort to the competent body", stressed Al-Shamari.
He noted that not providing healthy accommodation will result in adverse health conditions that would affect the productivity of the work force.
In the same context, Hussein Al–Sharif, general supervisor of the National Society for Human Rights, pointed out that there are fines imposed on companies that violate human rights. "Nobody has the right to deny any other person his lawful rights. The leadership of this country set up controls within its regulations and laws to ensure that," said Al-Sharif.