Deal reached over Saudi Binladin staff payments – report
As many as 2,000 staff allegedly had salaries delayed for up to four months
An agreement has been reached over alleged salary delays faced by some employees of the Saudi Binladin Group, according to local media reports.
A decision was reached during a recent meeting between representatives of the Ministry of Labour, Saudi Binladin Group and Makkah police, Arab News reported, citing local media.
It has been alleged that as many as 2,000 engineers, management staff and workers employed by the contracting giant were not paid salaries for as long as four months, leading to some agitation and unrest.
Khaled Aba Al Khiel, representative of the Ministry of Labour in the Makkah region, has pledged to follow up on the complaints, and take the necessary steps to ensure an end to the dispute, Arab News reported.
A trilateral agreement has reportedly been signed by the Saudi Ministry of Labour which will allow workers three options.
The first is to stay at home until salaries are paid by the company, after deducting the period of absence. The second option will allow anyone who wants to leave the company to do so, while also receiving the settlement of dues. A third choice is for workers and staff to have a sponsorship transfer.
Reuters reported in November that the Saudi contracting giant planned to cut 15,000 jobs, with some set to be laid off at the time, while others would be transferred to work temporarily on a multi-billion dollar airport project in Jeddah. The group’s total workforce is believed to be around 200,000.
Saudi Binladin Group did not respond to several requests for comment made by MEConstructionNews.com.
