Saudi cleaning firm forced to pay delayed salaries to hundreds of workers

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Labour and Social Development has forced a cleaning and maintenance firm to release overdue payments to 450 workers, according to reports.

Saudi Gazette cited Hamad Al-Jahil, director of the labor office in Unaizah, as confirming the move, which followed worker unrest at the company’s premises.

He said the office had received several complaints from workers, who had stopped work after not receiving their salaries for months, it was reported.

After payment was received the staff returned to work, Al-Jahil added.

Salary delays became common in Saudi Arabia last year after tougher economic conditions and delays to government payments hit some sectors particular hard.

The situation forced Saudi’s King Salman set aside SAR100m of government money to help stranded workers at companies including Saudi Oger and Saudi Binladin.

Read: Thousands of workers abandoned in Saudi won’t leave without pay

However, some firms are still continuing to delay payments to workers.

In one case, reported in March, dozens of employees at a construction firm in Makkah approached the local executive court to speed up the payment of their delayed salaries.

Read: Construction workers in Saudi approach executive court over delayed salaries