Hussien Hazazi Okaz/Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — About 150 foreign employees at the Maternity and Children's Hospital in Aziziyah, Jeddah, are awaiting a decision by the Labor Ministry over their complaint about delays in payment of salaries by the contracting company that hired them. The workers said they would stop work if their employer does not pay all outstanding dues, including back pay for four months. The workers approached the Ministry of Labor seeking its intervention after the company turned a deaf ear to instructions given by Jeddah Health Affairs to redress the grievances of the workers, many of whom had their residency permits expired. The workers accused the company of many other violations, including arbitrary cancellation of weekly offs. They said they are granted only one day-off every month in flagrant violation of the labor law. A committee appointed by Dr. Sami Badawood, director of Jeddah Health Affairs, to investigate their complaint submitted the results of its investigation to the labor office, but the workers alleged that the office did not take any action except meeting with their representatives. A source at the Jeddah Health Affairs has said that the case is still under processing. “Justice will take its course and the workers will retain their rights. It is just a matter of time,” he said.
