Going against the norm, a Labor Court here passed a verdict, Saturday, in record time to the relief of nearly 300 Asian expatriate workers who were locked in a legal dispute with their employer over salary delay and “untold sufferings,” the workers said. “The labor court on King Fahd Road took just three weeks to deliver the verdict,” said R. Murleedharan, president of the Federation of Kerala Associations in Saudi Arabia (Fokasa), a social organization helping Indian workers in distress. Murleedharan said 250 of the workers were Indians and the rest Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Filipinos. Hundreds of workers across Saudi Arabia are locked in legal disputes over delay or non-payment of salary. Such cases generally drag on for months or years, mainly because of lengthy legal proceedings and employers not showing up for hearings. Under such circumstances, it is not uncommon for the foreign workers involved to give up and return to their home countries, or work with other employers contravening Saudi labor regulations. On Saturday, the labor court ruled that the employer (name of the company withheld) pay accumulated salaries in installments every Tuesday, hand over the workers' Iqamas (residence permits), provide them with health insurance coverage, and permit them to go on vacation if sought. The court instructed the company's representative who was present at the time of verdict to pay all the dues, including end-of-service benefits to those wanting to quit and leave the Kingdom. “This court verdict in record time not only alleviates the sufferings of the workers but also serves as an example to those who shy away from seeking justice in Saudi labor courts,” Murleedharan said. Of late, some prominent Saudi businessmen have expressed concern over the lengthy procedures in labor courts and the inordinate delays in ruling on cases, which could discourage foreign workers from coming to work in the Kingdom. Murleedharan said the 300 workers had not got their salaries for between 5 to10 months and had stopped working in protest for over a month. They also had no health insurance coverage, which all companies are required to provide by law. Without salaries, they had to rely on social organizations or borrow money even for daily food expenses,“let alone going to the hospital for medical care,” he said. Unfortunately, the court verdict came too late for one of the workers, a chronic diabetic who died for not being able to afford his needed insulin shots for a couple of weeks. “That worker, an Indian, is survived by his wife and four children back home,” Murleedharan said. Despite the court verdict, the workers are not quite jumping for joy. Nearly all of them do not carry a valid Iqama, which is mandatory for foreign workers, and without which they risk jail and deportation if picked up by the police or the Passports and Immigration authorities. Muhammad Zahoor, an air-conditioning technician, said that following the court verdict, when they went to the work site on Sunday, all those whose Iqamas had expired, were denied entry. “The major task now ahead is to get the verdict implemented,” Zahoor said, adding that 75 percent of the workers would want rather collect their end-of-service dues and go home – “largely because of their bitter experience with the company.” Saudi Gazette could not reach the management of Al-Hasana Company for comment. – SG __
