Muhammad Dawood Okaz/Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — The National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) has warned that it will deal sternly with any company that forces its laborers to work under the scorching sun. Sulaiman Al-Zayedi, Makkah branch supervisor of the NSHR, said laws stipulate that employers should not make laborers work in scorching heat even at the risk of work progress. "This is in complete contravention of international labor laws," Al-Zayedi said here on Tuesday. “If any worker suffers from any psychological or physical disease because he has been forced to work in such severe conditions, the employer will be held accountable,” Al-Zayedi cautioned. The official called upon labor officers all over the Kingdom to ensure that the employers do not resort to this inhumane practice. An NSHR source reiterated that all employers are required to provide their workers with a suitable work environment and appropriate accommodation and protect them against scorching sun during summer. In Jazan, Okaz/Saudi Gazette visited several construction sites in different neighborhoods and noticed that some laborers were working in the afternoon when it was too hot. It was revealed that the companies were ignoring the relevant labor laws with impunity. These companies seek to make money and complete the project before the deadline and do not care about the health of their workers. Some of the laborers told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that they were asked to do jobs in the middle of the day under the blazing sun. Director of Jazan Labor Office Ali Harbi acknowledged that a ministerial decision stipulates that workers must not work under direct sunlight between 12 and 3 pm. He added that inspectors are dispatched on a regular basis to spot violations. In Jeddah too, it was found out that construction workers were engaged in different activities under the scorching sun. A majority of them said they did not know about the laws which protect them against working in such high temperature. They said the company they work for never informed them about these laws. The company did not also provide them with any protective gear. They were wearing normal clothes while some of them wrapped a piece of cloth around their heads as protection against direct sunlight. Dr. Mansour Al-Mazro'ee, director of the center of excellence for climate change research at King Abdulaziz University, expects the temperature to rise above average in the western region this month. “This summer will be hotter than the previous two because temperatures will rise sharply and might hit 50 or more,” he said. The year 2010 was the hottest in the Kingdom's history as temperatures in Jeddah alone hit 52. Doctors have advised the general public to drink a lot of water and juice and use sun-protection lotions on the skin. — Tamadhir Al-Ruhaili (Jeddah), Muhammad Al-Jasser (Buraidah), Abdul Karim Al-Thyabi (Taif), Nader Al-Eneizi (Tabuk), and Iftikhar Bahfain, Ala Odaini (Jazan) contributed to the report.
