Daily Wagers Irk Residents in Jeddah Localities
Several areas in Jeddah are facing the menace of an increasing number of wayside labors, creating nuisance, say the residents of Al- Muhammadia, Herzat and Wadi Ashaira localities in the eastern part of the city.
They urged the authorities to implement intensive censorship and control over these neighborhoods to prevent this surge of labor violations.
“In the morning, we find the workers gathering on the sidewalks and streets with their tools and equipment waiting to be asked or taken to do a job,” said Abdulrahman Hamdan, a resident.
He demanded the authorities to “eliminate this nuisance” and to protect residents from this menace.
Hamzeh Abdo, another resident, said: “There must be strict measures taken against those who employ such workers, thus indulging in labor violations.” Their numbers, he said, are multiplying and, therefore, security officials and police patrols together with the labor office should intensify their campaign against such wayside workers. In Almuhamadya in particular their number is increasing with every passing day, he charged.
“In our neighborhood, workers in violation of the labor and residency system gather after dawn prayers and their number is increasing. They stay in the open streets until midday; they go home by this time and come back to the same place after Asr prayers,” said Ziad Al-Khawari. He said such labor violations by them do not seem to worry them about possible arrests.
Raed Al-Rouqi said each legal worker who rents a place for lodging gives shelter to a number of such violators without the knowledge of the landlord.
“Some of them live in deserted houses, or yards or in the mountains,” he added.
Another citizen, Wael Reda, said these workers cause fear among the residents as some of them walk through the streets way after midnight. He said many robberies have occurred during that time of the night. “They steal gas pipes, air-conditioners, some furniture and other things,” he added.
Hamad Fares says such workers are like a ticking bomb. “With every passing day we hear that some house or shop is robbed while its residents are away. We want the authorities and police to come and take them away so that we feel safe in our homes and neighborhoods,” he said.