Seven Saudi banks disbursed a sum of SR100 million on Tuesday as one month's salary for Saudi Binladin Group's workers who have not been paid their wages for about five months. Quoting informed sources, local daily Al-Watan said on Wednesday that the sum was paid to expatriate and Saudi staff working in various sectors of the group. The sources said a large number of workers were still waiting for a breakthrough in the group's financial position so as to be paid their long overdue salaries. They said the company had made it a condition to pay monthly salaries to only those staff who earn SR4,000 or less. According to the sources, the group had issued final exit visas to more than 80,000 expatriate workers, but has paid delayed salaries to more than 35,000 other workers. More workers are expected to leave on final exit visas if the group keeps its promise to settle their dues by June 20. The sources said a large number of Saudi staff whose monthly salaries are more than SR5,000 are anxiously waiting for the company's financial crisis to end so as to be paid before the advent of Ramadan. Some of the Saudi staff said the last payment they received was in January and complained about their difficult financial conditions. They said the group dismissed about 177 Saudis according to the labor laws because they were absent from work for more than 15 days without any legal justifications. A Saudi employee, who referred to himself as Abu Fahd, said he has not been paid his salary for five months. He said the group has halted work on a number of projects, stopped paying salaries and asked the staff to come to the office though they had no work to do.
