Expat workers welcome new labor e-services

Expatriates are happy with the recent launch of a number of worker-friendly services, which include an online labor legal consultation service and the easing of sponsorship transfer in case of salary delay for more than three months.

Several workers, who were denied basic rights such as work contracts and timely payment of salary, expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Labor for digitalizing and easing the process of registering complaints.

A Bangladeshi worker employed by a well-known recruiting agency to work as a cleaner in an international school in Jeddah has not been paid for six months. His employment contract mentioned a monthly salary of SR1,500, but when he started work he was getting SR800 a month. He does not know where to lodge a complaint.

The worker told Saudi Gazette that most cleaners face the same situation. When informed about the new online labor consultation service, he expressed hope that he will get justice.

Azam Khan, a Pakistani laborer who works at a construction site in Jeddah’s Naseem district, wants to get rid of his sponsor, who has not paid him his wages since last Ramadan and threatens to declare him ‘huroub’ every time he demands his wages.

“Honestly, we didn’t have sufficient money to travel to Riyadh’s Labor Office and my colleagues told me the process is lengthy and ineffective. With online labor services, troubled expat workers like us are hopeful that our problems will finally be solved,” he said.

“The labor e-service is an excellent initiative by the ministry as this will ensure transparency from both parties,” said Fahd Majeed, manager of a leading recruiting agency in Jeddah.