Over 70 male and female employees working in a maintenance and operation company affiliated to the Maternity and Children's Hospital in Al-Mosa'idiah District here have accused their company of a number of violations and have called upon the Labor Office for help. The employees allege that the company delays their monthly salary, deprives them of their weekly day off and sick leave, and gives them annual vacation without pay. The employees further allege that the company deducts monthly subscriptions from the salaries of several of their colleagues who are not registered in the social insurance. They stressed that this is a blatant violation of the regulations. Besides these, there are monthly deductions due to warnings the company issues against them without any justification. An official source in the Jeddah Labor Office said the labor law prohibits withholding an employee's salary or part of it without justification. Also, if an employee is unjustly stopped from work, he has the right to receive his salary for that period of time. He said the penal measures are clearly stated in Labor Office regulations, and the employer must take several steps before firing an employee. First a warning must be issued, then a fine, deprivation from annual increment, postponing promotion and finally firing the employee. He called upon those harmed to visit the Labor Office, which will defend their rights. Fahd Mahboob, a legal consultant, said that it is not permitted to issue warnings to an employee unless he has violated the rights and duties of work agreed upon in the contract, or if he acts in a way violating honor and integrity or if he does not obey his bosses. He pointed out that not giving the employee his rights according to the law especially his monthly salary is in violation of the regulations. Therefore, the Labor Office must intervene to deal with these violations in accordance with the law.
