RIYADH/TAIF: The Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) is working hard to ensure the safety of its workers at all its plants, said Ali Bin Saleh Al-Barrak, the SEC Executive President. He said the company has invested tremendous amounts of money to ensure a safe and healthy work environment that does not pose any danger to workers. Except for some isolated incidents, which the company is learning from, no one has been seriously injured, he said. The company is constantly training its workers on safety measures and how to avoid danger, he added. He said all technical workers, whether they are working in dangerous locations or not, have special benefits. However, the company may study the possibility of providing more benefits to encourage employees to remain in their jobs. He said the company is planning to open a women's branch at its main headquarters in Riyadh. He said Saudi women who want to work in these women's administrative positions will need a computer qualification. He revealed that the new SEC's electric transmission company will be operational before the end of this year. Its new electricity distribution and generating companies will start operating before the end of 2012. All of these companies will be established as part of the SEC's restructuring. They will be operating under a new name. Meanwhile, on Sunday more than 100 employees of the SEC stopped working for two hours during morning working hours in protest at management not meeting what they described as their “legitimate demands”. Their demands, which they presented in a paper to the company's officials in the presence of security officials, include amending the payroll, reconsidering shift allowances, disbursement of risk allowances for those working in dangerous places and remote-area allowances for those who have to work in remote areas. In addition, they want an annual salary raise which they say is “a normal right for all government employees”. A number of employees told the newspaper that they filed their demands with company officials previously “but no one listened”. The employees, in the presence of security authorities, introduced a paper containing 14 points explaining their demands. Abdulsalam Al-Yamani, Vice President of the SEC, refused to comment. The employees returned to work after being persuaded to do so by security authorities. Some of the company's officials promised to submit their demands to the officials at the company's headquarters in Riyadh.
