Saudi employees demonstrate at the Eastern Province Labor office in Dammam on Thursday, demanding payment of their salaries. The employees said they were not paid for the past four months. — Courtesy photo Saudi Gazette report
DAMMAM — More than 120 Saudi employees of a Dammam-based national company protested outside the Eastern Province Labor office in Dammam on Thursday demanding swift action against their employer whom they said has failed to pay them for the past four months. The disgruntled employees have also submitted a petition to Eastern Province Emir Prince Saud Bin Naif to help them. The employees said that due to the nonpayment of salaries and benefits they were facing several problems. One employee said: “We are not able to provide proper food to our children and family members or other basic necessities. “We have made several representations to the higher management listing our hardships and requesting them to pay our salaries but without any positive response.” The demonstrating employees said several employees who had resigned from their services or had their contracts terminated had not been paid their end of service benefits, a breach of the Saudi Labor Law. One of the employees present at the demonstration said there are some workers who left the company more than five months ago and the management has still not paid them their dues. Another aggrieved employee said: “We are facing a very delicate situation. “On the one hand we are not being able to provide some very basic amenities to our family members and on the other hand many of us who have borrowed from the banks are subjected to fines for the nonpayment of installments. “Bank officials are not concerned whether we are paid our salaries or not. “They keep embarrassing us with their repeated phone calls and then levy late payment fines on us.” The labor department has confirmed that it has been receiving similar complaints from employees, both Saudis and non-Saudis, from various companies and has assigned officials to expedite their cases. Saudi Gazette previously reported on stranded expats in the Eastern Province whose stay in the Kingdom became illegal due to the irresponsible and corrupt practices of some of their companies. The labor court in Dammam and Jubail is expediting their case and some of the stranded employees have received their salaries as a result. A batch of 25 Indians who arrived in the Eastern Province on a work visit visa more than a year ago and are still being held captive by their hiring company were promised by their sponsor in the labor courts that they would be sent home immediately. However, they were still in Al-Khobar on Sunday. The sponsor who was to present himself in the court on Feb. 18 failed to do so and fresh summons have been issued to him.
