GhamdyNoted media figure Turki Al-Dakheel, in his popular television program “Idaat” (Enlightenment), conducted an interview with leading Saudi businessman Sheikh Saleh Kamel, president of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry. During the program, Al-Dakheel asked Sheikh Saleh whether he thought the salary of the workers who clean the streets in the Kingdom was satisfactory. Sheikh Saleh said that it was not and added that the low salary might even prompt some of the workers to become criminals. When Sheikh Saleh was asked who was responsible for the situation, he said: “Companies, the tendering system and businessmen” among which he included himself. Responding to another question about what salary would be satisfactory for these workers, he said that it should not be less than SR1,000. Sheikh Saleh then promised to look into the matter. That interview was held more than two years ago, but so far nothing has been done to improve the condition of these workers who shoulder an important and difficult responsibility. Street cleaners are often blamed for negligence and dereliction of duty. They ask for alms from people at traffic signals, the gates of mosques and other public places. They also engage in collecting empty soft drink cans, old cartons, and scrap iron that they find in rubbish bins. While it is a fact that some of these workers do this, we have to take into consideration their low salary as well as their miserable living conditions back home which have forced them to come here to undertake this difficult job. As for the companies, contractors and businessmen whom Sheikh Saleh has said are responsible for this situation, they conclude contracts worth millions of riyals to hire these workers through manpower offices in their respective countries. These offices sign agreements with these laborers after bargaining with them. Under the deal, the workers are forced to pay for their travel tickets in addition to thousands of riyals, which is divided among the manpower offices and the recruitment companies. This involves an illegal visa trade in which the worker often has to sell his cow and his wife's jewelry. Sometimes, they are forced to borrow from their relatives and others in order to collect the money to buy a visa. These workers do all this with the hope that they will be given an attractive salary and be placed in a decent work environment. But when they land in the Kingdom, they are shocked to see something entirely contrary to their expectations. They are forced to work under tough living conditions for a trivial salary. While leading a miserable life, they search for additional revenue that helps them cover their cost of living as well as that of their families back home. This is why you see them sifting through rubbish bins looking for empty soda cans and old cartons, often in stiff competition with African women who are looking for the same materials. The working and living conditions of street cleaners are miserable and unjustifiable. It is not permissible to allow this as the Prophet (peace be upon him) has warned that Allah cursed those people who deprived others of their rights. It is the duty of the Human Rights Commission, the National Society for Human Rights, the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice as well as mosque imams, preachers, writers and journalists to draw attention to the miserable condition of these workers and intervene to ensure them justice and give them their due rights in return for the difficult job that they are doing. If they are given an attractive salary, I am sure, all the negatives that some people attribute to them can be averted, and then the concerned authorities can take action against those who are found negligent in fulfilling their duties. On the other hand, if there is no move to change their condition, and the companies continue signing cleaning contracts for a salary so low that it would be insufficient to buy even two meals at popular restaurants in Jeddah or Riyadh, then the negligence and laxity of these workers will continue even if they do not become criminals as Sheikh Saleh said. Let me conclude by reminding you about what the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Those are your brothers (workers under you) who are around you; Allah has placed them under you. So, if anyone of you has someone under him, he should feed him out of what he himself eats, clothe him like what he himself puts on, and let him not put so much burden on him that he is not able to bear, (and if that be the case), then lend your help to him.”Dr. Ali Al-Ghamdy is a former Saudi diplomat who specializes in Southeast Asian affairs. He can be reached at [email protected] __
