Construction and cleaning employees are being forced to work during midday hours despite extreme temperatures, reported Al-Hayat Arabic newspaper after conducting a field survey. Employees said their companies were exploiting the delay in announcing the midday work ban, which usually starts from June 15. A responsible source at the Ministry of Labor and Social Development told Al-Hayat that it was conducting surprise inspection tours to catch violators. "We have taken action against a number of violators," he told the daily. He said the ban would be effective from June 15 to Sept. 15. Workers are not allowed to work in the sun from 12 noon to 3 p.m. Asked why the ministry was not imposing the ban now that temperatures in some Saudi cities have crossed 40 degree Celsius, he said: "Officially the ban begins on June 15. However, companies can follow the ban considering the weather condition for the safety of workers." Khaled Al-Fakheri, secretary-general of the National Society for Human Rights, said NSHR informs the ministry about organizations that do not follow the ban. "The presence of a toll free number has reduced the number of such violations," he said. "Many companies cut salaries if employees refuse to work during midday hours. There are supervisors to check working hours," one worker said. Temperatures have reached the peak in the Eastern Province during the past two days with Dammam reporting 40 and 43 degrees Celsius on Sunday and Monday.
