Saudi Labour Ministry takes measures to protect employee rights

Dubai, Feb 1 (UNI) The expatriate Indian work force in Saudi Arabia has welcomed the Labour Ministry's move to crack down on labour recruiters and companies in a bid to protect employees' rights.

Labour Minister Ghazi Al-Gosaibi has taken two important decisions in order to safeguard the rights of about seven million expatriates, including Indians, working in the Kingdom.

Under the new rules, any company that delays payment of salaries for two consecutive months will be banned from recruiting new employees for at least a year.

The rules also allow expatriate workers to transfer sponsorship to another company or employer if their company delays payment of salaries for three consecutive months.

Under the original law, a worker cannot transfer his sponsorship until he/she has completed a one-year tenure under his original sponsor.

The ministry has also stated that the former employer should pay all pending dues of the employee.

''While transferring sponsorship, the employee or his new employer will not pay any compensation to the former employer and the defaulter will not be compensated by providing another worker,'' the ministry said.

The new rules will come into effect within four months, Arab News reported.

Indian embassy officials, welcoming the ministry's decision, said Indian Ambassador M O H Farook met with Riyadh Governor Prince Salman and ministry officials to urge them to take measures to protect the rights of Indian workers, especially housemaids.

UNI