Over 13-Month-Old Labor Dispute Nears Resolution

By Fatima Muhammad
Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — Three workers who filed a case against their employer over a year ago have got their decision from the preliminary commission for the settlement of the labor disputes in Al-Khobar on Monday.

The decision obliged the employer to provide the workers with delayed payments and give them exit visa and pay for the return ticket of one of them.
However, official documents Saudi Gazette has obtained state that the decision is not final and that there is a room for appeal within 30 days.

These cases are among 33 other disputes — of which 17 have already been resolved wherein employees have rejoined their company.

Thirteen other employees filed a case in 2014 and managed to go to their home countries earlier this year. “Only the three of us are still stuck here and are waiting for one hearing after the other, a process that is taking too long,” said a worker.

The three workers are all Indians and have also approached a human rights organization which they claim did not help them out.

The workers filed their case on Sept. 9 last year, and after several visits to the labor court the decision was issued in their favor but the company can still appeal.

Hashim, one of the three workers, said that they want help to implement this decision and added, “we need help to speed up this process and we just want to leave the Kingdom. Can anyone help us get our passports and exit visas?”

The employer did not show up at several hearings as the documents with Saudi Gazette show. However, the company is demanding up to SR70,000 in compensation from two of the workers as they allegedly stopped working. The company also wants the workers to go to their home country at their own expenses. Furthermore, the company is requesting the court to prevent the workers from coming back to Saudi Arabia for two years.

Hashim said he did not stop working but his office was locked and he was prevented from going entering it. The company is accusing the workers of working for other employers something that they deny.

“I am not working for any company I am just waiting here for this case to end.” How can I prove to the court that I did not stop working for my employer? I just have emails that I sent to my employer informing him about my condition but he never replied back,” he said.

(Source: SaudiGazette.com.sa)