Saudi contractors claim summer work ban adds 8-10% to project costs
National Committee for Contractors says employing night-shift workers requires overtime pay, further adding to labour costs
Saudi Arabian contractors have said that the Ministry of Labour’s decision to ban employees from working during peak daytime summer temperatures will raise project costs by 8% to 10%.
The National Committee for Contractors in the Council of Saudi Chambers has submitted a request to the ministry, asking for additional time to complete projects, claiming that work and productivity at night cannot be the same as during daytime hours, according to local media.
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“Naturally, projects lose out on the benefits of daytime work during these three months, and if the project timeframe requires up to two or three years, contractors lose out on six to nine months of efficient daytime labour, which in turn creates additional problems and delays for the projects,” said Hani Mufi, a member of the National Committee for Contractors in the Council of Saudi Chambers.
The Ministry of Labour has said that the new work schedule will run for 93 days over the summer months, from June 7 to September 1.
Mufi added that the change in scheduling would mean that contractors would have reorganise their projects sites in order to allow for safe and efficient work environments. He said that the ministry had allowed employees to work on other activities during the restricted time, provided shade and air-conditioning was supplied, which would incur additional costs.
When seeking to employ night-shift workers, Mufi complained that they would have be provided with overtime pay, which would increase project costs further.
Mufi said that one of the main aspects that require more effective communication with government agencies is the issue of government project delivery committees, which only work during the daytime and rarely work at night. As a result, this limits the availability of specialists, engineers and laborers to take note of certain issues during the project delivery stage and creates additional delays.
READ MORE: Midday break for UAE construction workers to start on June 15
