MAKKAH — A group of persons working for different businesses in the private sector have complained about the long working hours in Ramadan. They said they work longer than the official eight hours set by the Labor Law and rarely are they allowed to take any rest. They are paid low salaries as employers take advantage of them, Makkah daily reported. Hamdi Younis, director of Ministry of Labor and Social Development Makkah branch, said the Ministry of Labor inspectors constantly warn employers against forcing workers to do more than the daily hours set by the law, urging workers to report violations at 19911. "Once we have received a violation report, we will dispatch a team of inspectors to the location to check and verify. Unfortunately, some employers, especially those who own businesses at malls, tend to make shopkeepers work longer hours around the time when Eid Al Fitr Holidays approaches," he noted. Sultan Al-Harthy, a legal consultant, explains that the Shariah protects the rights of workers and so does the Labor Law in the Kingdom. The employment contracts stipulates that a worker should perform his duties for certain hours and be paid a certain salary. It is inhumane to abuse the contract and make the employee work longer hours for your own benefit. He cited Article 61 of the Labor Law which states that no employer shall make an employee work longer hours than the ones mentioned in the contract and no employer shall have the right to withhold and not pay the salary of the employee. His advice to employees who are going through this situation is to go to the labor office and file a complaint immediately. The Labor Law states that the daily working hours is eight except in Ramadan they are reduced to six. If a worker stays longer hours, he should be compensated and paid overtime fees in proportion to his salary. Moreover, workers should be given short rests and one day off every week, according to the law.
