Saudi women work as sales clerks in a lingerie store. Women working in retail stores complain that their employers often force them to perform tasks not mentioned in their contracts. — File photo Saudi Gazette report
MADINAH — Saleswomen at retail stores selling women's accessories say they are being forced to do tasks outside of their contracts, such as loading and unloading products and cleaning stores, Al-Watan reported. Spokesman for the Ministry of Labor Tayseer Al-Mufrij said employees have the right to complain to the Ministry of Labor whenever they feel their employer is breaching their contracts. “The ministry's program to feminize women products stores has nothing to do with saleswomen feeling like their contracts are being breached,” Al-Mufrij said. “The program does not include job descriptions, as each employee is required to fulfill her contract. The saleswomen are welcome to formally complain about their strife in order for the ministry to interfere officially.” One saleswoman said she didn't expect many of her colleagues in Madinah to file an official complaint, as they are afraid they will lose their jobs. “We are afraid our employers will retaliate,” she said. “The tasks we have to do, such as unloading heavy goods, are not only out of contract, but out of our physical ability as women as well. Our employers do not take into consideration that we are not men.” She added that she and her co-workers are also afraid of a wider reaction. “Society still stands against women working in retail stores, because it is a public place and we have to deal with men sometimes,” she said. “If society knew that we also have to do heavy labor, it might shun us completely.” Al-Mufrij responded to the employee's complaints, saying the ministry prioritizes issues around female employment due to the sensitivity of the topic in the Kingdom. “Despite the fact that the ministry is in need of a more professional cadre of employees in resolving conflicts between employees and their employers, it always prioritizes complaints coming from the feminization program,” he said. He added that the pressure of Saudization on employers may lead them to employ Saudi women and assign them unsuitable positions or tasks only to meet the ministry's requirements on paper. “Without a formal complaint, private sector employers will keep exploiting their female employees,” Al-Mufrij said. “Instead of employing cleaners and workers to do other heavy labor, they might force their current employees to fill in.” The saleswoman also demanded the ministry run inspection campaigns on the retail sector in the wake of the on feminization program. “The ministry should follow up to ensure that the employees are not being exploited by their employers,” she said. “They should have a confidentiality law enabling the employees to easily file complaints without having their identities revealed.”
