MADINAH — More than 1,000 workers in King Fahd Qur'an Printing Complex and Prince Muhammad Bin Abdul Aziz International Airport in Madinah stopped work early Tuesday over non-payment of their salaries for many months. A source at the complex said work has completely stopped in all sections of the press which is printing copies of the Holy Book and its translations in various languages. He said hundreds of workers refused to vacate the company's housing compound. Awwad Al-Hazmi, director of labor office in Madinah, said the office inspectors in collaboration with the security forces have followed up on the issue and listened to the workers' complaints. He said the inspectors met more than 400 workers of various nationalities who said they have not been paid for three months. "The issue has been referred to the ministry in Riyadh, because there was no administrative official from the national operating company to talk to," he said. Hazmi said a complaint was filed against the company last month at the preliminary labor commission for delaying the salaries of 1,086 workers. Secretary General of the complex Mohammed Al-Aoufi said the complex is not directly involved in the issue as the matter is between the operating company and its employees. Khaled Ouwaidah, spokesman of the airport, said air traffic was not affected by the absence of a number of maintenance workers. "We had a plan B which enabled us to continue business as usual in the airport," he added. A source at the airport, who opted not to be identified, said a number of cleaners and maintenance workers did not come to work because the company did not pay them salaries for two to four months. He said a number of Saudi employees were also not paid. The source said a committee, comprising the police and representatives of the labor office, listened to the workers at their place of accommodation and summoned and questioned several company officials.
