Over 400 Ministry of Haj staff in Makkah, Madina and Jeddah are demanding that the ministry pay them their salaries for last month (Jumada I). Some are also demanding they get paid their Haj allowances from last year. One of the employees said: “I don't understand why we have not been paid so far even though we're now on the ministry's payroll list. When we were working temporarily for the ministry, we got paid on time.” Khalid Al-Salimi, director of personnel affairs, from the ministry's Makkah branch, attributed the delay in salaries to the fact that the employees signed permanent contracts in mid-Jumada I (April 1) and it was difficult to pay salaries at the end of the same month. “The payments go through certain regulations that take time. However, the ministry has already sent the employees' papers to the Ministry of Finance.” Al-Salimi told employees that they will be paid their salaries next week, adding that the complaint over a one month delay was unnecessary. As for Haj allowances, Al-Salimi said that all employees were paid their allowances on time. Those who have not been paid should go to the personnel department and enquire about the reason for the delay. __
