More than 30 female cleaning workers at King Faisal Hospital in Taif have stopped work in protest at their pay and alleged exploitation by their contracting company. The workers accused their contracting company of cutting SR75 a month from their pay for residency permit (Iqama) renewals. The workers demanded a raise in their salaries from SR400 to SR600 per month, plus the opportunity to receive paid overtime. Following discussions it was agreed that they would return to their duties with the promise that no cuts would be made from their salaries for any reason. Shayma, the Filipina supervisor of the cleaners, said that they were seeking a rise in pay as their current salaries did not even cover their living expenses, adding that they were only given shifts of six hours, leading them to look for additional work, something which their contracting firm has forbidden. – Okaz __
