The scene recurs everyday. Laborers work hard under the hot sun and sweat profusely. Soaring summer temperatures exceed 50 degrees Centigrade. The National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) has received numerous complaints from expatriate workers who have said their employers force them to work under extreme heat. Article 98 of the new Labor Law stipulates that employers can't force people to work for more than eight hours a day. Ahmad Muhammad Abul Aynain, 45, said he is motivated by the need to provide for his family and accepts the challenges of doing so. “I have been working for 20 years now as a blacksmith,” he said. “What is making me remain patient about work in the Kingdom under the scorching heat of the sun is the need to provide a decent life for my three children. I'm working for their sake despite the fact that our work takes a lot from our health and we do not have any vacations except during the holy month of Ramadan. It is the only vacation when we can enjoy with our families and children.” Continuous work exhausts me, Ahmad Nassar, 43, who has been working in construction for six years, complained about severe fatigue from working in arduous conditions. “Continuous work in my occupation exhausts me especially during the summer when temperatures sometimes exceed 50 degrees Centigrade,” he said. “The actual work does not exceed seven hours daily, unlike the winter season, but one hour of work during the summer is equivalent to two hours during winter. Our consumption of fluids increases tremendously. One person's consumption of water can reach six liters per day in the summer.” The conditions take a toll on workers' health, Nassar added. “Regrettably, we suffer from many diseases due to working under the scorching sun and for long hours. Many workers have collapsed suddenly because they couldn't bear the sun's rays. As to cases of sunstroke, they are countless.” Guarding building materials Muhammad Yameen and Muhammad Bilal, who are working as guards for building materials in Jeddah, said they are vigilant and that the evening hours can be challenging, too. “Despite the high temperatures, we have got to carry out our work,” Yameen/Bilal said. “We have been trusted with guarding these materials and there is no room for laxity or negligence. This is a trust we have to shoulder and if we slacken our vigilance, everything would be lost. Our work requires double effort of the workers and needs a lot of concentration. I take turns with my colleague to guard the building materials. We face a lot of hardships especially at night because there are thieves who are roaming in the area and waiting for a chance to steal the materials or to do other things. Sometimes we find syringes and empty liquor bottles at the edge of the site. Our work does not end with the arrival of the workers, but with the completion of the building and its handover to its owner.” Samu, a Filipino plumber, said working in the hot weather is difficult, but he has adapted to the conditions and is able to unwind when his work is done. “At the end of the day, I forget the exhaustion,” he said. “I relax in my residence with peace of mind, as I have come here to work. Once one gets used to the hard work and harsh weather, it becomes easier to bear. There is no room for tardiness. Each one of us is working for a daily wage and any negligence or laziness deprives us of our wage. We must confront all the circumstances. After all, this is the source of our sustenance.” Medical opinion Head of the Neurology Department at King Faisal Specialist Hospital Dr. Yusuf Ali Al-Sayyid said high temperatures and exposure to the sun has a direct effect on health. If people who are not used to working under soaring temperatures suffer sunstroke, they can die in less than five minutes if they are not quickly provided with the necessary first aid, which includes cooling the whole body. Dr. Al-Sayyid said most of those who suffer from sunstroke are children, old people, heart patients, diabetics, alcoholics, drug addicts and those who are not accustomed to hot weather. Symptoms and signs of sunstroke include a rise in body temperature to over 40 degrees C with a headache, nausea, vomiting and dizziness, said Dr. Al-Sayyid. The skin becomes reddish and very hot, sweating stops, pulse and breathing rates increase, along with severe exhaustion and neurological disturbances including involuntary muscle spasms. People suffering sunstroke may become confused and aggressive. If the condition worsens further, they might slip into a coma. Decision of the Minister of Labor Director of the Labor Office in Jeddah Qussay Filali said his organization's concern for workers is reflected in its decision that as of next year, employers cannot make people work under the sun from noon to 3 p.m., during July and August. The decision provides exceptions for the petroleum and gas industry and for people who carry out emergency maintenance and repairs. Before this decision, the Labor Office received many complaints from workers who complained that their sponsors forced them to work in extreme heat, Filali said. “With the implementation of the decision of the Minister of Labor at the beginning of next year, undoubtedly, this comes in conformity with the international trend and work criteria in terms of protecting workers and providing them with a healthy and safe work environment, according to safety and occupational-health considerations,” he said. Human Rights An official source in the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) said the organization has received numerous complaints from workers who have been forced to work during the peak heat period. He confirmed that the society monitored this issue this year and has found numerous violations. The NSHR wrote to the relevant authorities, asking them to implement controls and regulations prohibiting work in unhealthy environments. The NSHR has called on the Ministry of Labor to ensure implementation of the decision forbidding workers toil during noon and afternoon period, and in extreme hot and cold weather. The Society pointed out that implementation of the decision banning workers from working at certain times has been postponed until next year, due to the possible occurrence of financial harm to contractors and companies that signed contracts to carry out projects within a specific period and complete them at a certain date. Contractors and companies have to adapt to this situation next year and lay down a specific and clear mechanism for abiding by the regulation. The decision is designed to prevent problems for employers and workers, but requirements and arrangements have to be readied for the workers so they do not suffer in extreme weather. The NSHR source said it is required that the regulation is just in implementation and fair to all. The regulation concerning workers and improving their work conditions is a positive and important matter to the Ministry of Labor, said Filali, who added that the decision must be implemented correctly to benefit workers and employers.
