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nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

There's not much to this story, and understandably, the plaintiff should remain anonymous. But any guesses as to which contracting company this is?

Canadian teacher unpaid for six months wants resolution
By Fatima Muhammad, Saudi Gazette | 27 May 2015
Source: http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20150527245133

JEDDAH — A Canadian woman has told Saudi Gazette of her frustration in obtaining six months’ outstanding wages from her employers. The woman, who spoke anonymously, has been employed for a year and a half now and her employer is a subcontracting company who hired her as a teacher previously in Hail and later moved her to Jeddah. However, for six months now she has not been receiving her wages.

She was hired on a salary of around SR10,000 and promised health insurance and tickets as well as housing allowance. The woman described her case as “going in circles”. She explained that she has been asked to sign documents in Arabic but refused to do so until her dispute is settled. She later contacted a lawyer who said he could help her transfer her iqama (residence permit) and get her benefits.

The woman, who recently converted to Islam, is now staying at a friend's home and said she feels “hopeless”. She is looking for her case to be resolved soon so she can start all over again in a new job. Despite the fact other companies have offered her work, her previous employer is insisting on “forcing her out of the country.” She said she has been deprived of all her labor rights, including health insurance and housing. She hopes that the company “does not get away with such violations” and added they should not think that since they brought her to the country, “they own her”.

Her lawyer Basim Al-Harbi said that they attended a hearing on Monday and he demanded that his client get her delayed wages, end of service benefits and compensation for emotional distress. He said the company's representatives did not agree and, therefore, another hearing will take place on Thursday. A representative from the company told Saudi Gazette that they were trying to reach an agreement and will attend the next hearing to try and resolve the issue.

(End of article)

currentaffairs · Joined: 22 Aug 2012 Posts: 828

To be fair, of all the problems I have seen in the desert, salary payment is not one of them. Every contractor, college or university has always paid on time. There has been lots of fuss concerning place of work, management and teaching load, blah blah but never money issues.

I wonder if there is more to this story because it seems very strange that she hasn't been paid for six months. Does it only affect her or other people as well? Why only her as it seems?

sicklyman · Joined: 02 Feb 2013 Posts: 930

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

Hatcher · Joined: 20 Mar 2008 Posts: 602

I was cheated by a big uni in Jeddah for about 3000USD.

I was told that if I sued, I would probably win. But I would be fired and they would also fire a friend of mine as well just to be a$$holes.

Inshallah

mnruman · Joined: 30 Mar 2015 Posts: 93 Location: Manchester, UK

She's on 10k SR per month? seems a little low I thought Canada, USA, UK etc were in the highter pay band.

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

voyagerksa · Joined: 29 Apr 2015 Posts: 140

Her case is concrete enough that she may win. If she has not been paid then the company will have to provide check copies with signatures and other evidence etc. to show that they have been paying her. If not she will most likely win even in Saudi Arabia. What I would be careful about is racking up lawyer costs for which she may not be reimbursed. All I would use is a translator (which you have to have for Labor court).

1chunk · Joined: 05 Aug 2014 Posts: 123

voyagerksa · Joined: 29 Apr 2015 Posts: 140

There's also plenty of people with narcissistic or passive aggressive tendencies that fit right into the middle of the Bell curve and end out maintaining their Saudi ESL positions for years and years, in some cases even high paying ESL positions. You see many of these right here on this forum. Not only that but some of the Arab and Saudi ESL structure apologists are in fact, believe or not, Saudis or Gulf state citizens.

Hatcher · Joined: 20 Mar 2008 Posts: 602

1. The big problem here is the spitefulness of Saudis. My uni dept was sued a couple of times. In one case, they fined the teacher when his laptop was stolen. The uni prez said he didnt have to pay for it. the dept fired him and when he sued, he wasnt allowed to leave the country.

So she may be able to get costs as well.

2. In my own country, I have hard time treating Saudis any better than the way I was treated.

plumpy nut · Joined: 12 Mar 2011 Posts: 1652

You can't obtain an exit visa while a case is in process, at least for labor court and how suing somebody relates to that I don't know. Before you can leave on an exit visa you have to stipulate that the company doesn't owe you anything, and that means all labor cases have to be ruled on, or let go by the employee. If you're on an Iqama, and haven't been fired, and the contract stipulates X amount of salary and you haven't been paid that, the labor court is going to get around to ruling in your favor, even in Saudi Arabia, unless of course something else is up.