RIYADH — The Ministry of Labor and Social Development (MLSD) dealt with 174 customers' complaints against recruitment offices and companies from January to April, calling upon everyone to report any violation in this regard through the official channels. The customer who faces a problem because of the recruitment agencies can contact the unified customer service No. (19911) or visit the domestic labor website (Musaned) (https://www.musaned.gov.sa/), as well as visiting the nearest MLSD branch which can be found in various parts of the Kingdom's regions. The ministry said these official channels ensure the rights of stakeholders from illegal practices including exploitation and breach of contracts. Recently, labor inspectors conducted 661 visits to several recruitment offices and companies as part of the nation-wide campaign during the period from January 1 to April 30, which is in a bid to make sure that the recruitment agencies comply with the recruitment regulations and rules along with the labor law. Khaled Abalkhail, spokesman for the MLSD, said: «During the raids, around 14 recruitment offices were permanently closed down and another 40 faced temporary shutdown due to that the fact they were in violation of the recruitment rules and regulations. They also did not honor the contracts signed with customers.» The spokesman stressed that the inspection campaigns would never lose momentum to track down the violators across the Kingdom to make sure that the service providers follow the regulations and stipulations relating to recruitment. According to the ministry, the Musaned website is an initiative and a full-fledged platform that contains 605 recruitment offices and companies, besides over 40,000 domestic worker resumes. The website recruited a total of 61,411 domestic workers. The ministry highlighted that the Musaned website is a positive shift that allows the Saudi citizens to recruit domestic workers and offers a number of solutions in order to improve a work environment under its umbrella. Additionally, it aims to develop the domestic labor sector in the Kingdom through coordinating the relationships among the labor parties. The website can be accessible through its own brand app that facilitates provision of services for employers, overseas manpower suppliers and local recruitment agencies, alike.
