Some 120 male and female Saudis have complained to the Labor Office and the regional Emir's Office that they were “forced” to sign voluntary contract release papers terminating them from contracting company jobs at public hospitals in Jeddah. They are also demanding back-pay for unpaid wages. Legal consultant Fahd Mahboub said the contracting company was in breach of three laws. “They failed to give staff copies of their contracts, they did not pay them all they were due upon release, and they failed to provide them with work experience certificates,” Mahboub said. According to the director of Al-Musadia Gynecology and Obstetrics Hospital, Dr. Kamal Abu Rukbah, the contract release followed orders to cancel cleaning and maintenance contracts and fill the positions with ministry employees. “The Health Affairs Directorate is now working on providing qualified Health Ministry employees to compensate the shortage of workers,” Abu Rukbah said.
