Upset at delay in salary, Asian workers run amok

By Ibrahim Alawi

Okaz/Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — Several Asian workers were arrested here on Monday on charges of physically assaulting their employer after their salaries were allegedly delayed for three months.

A group of Asian workers working in northern Obhur went berserk assaulting their employer and throwing rocks at passing vehicles. The police surrounded the site and arrested the workers to investigate the incident and understand the causes behind such an upheaval.

A source said the workers were angry at the fact that their employers, Arab expatriates, were not paying them their salaries for the past three months.

Makkah Labor and Social Development Directorate Supervisor Mohammad Al-Qahtani said the ministry is looking into the incident.

“We listened to the claims and complaints of the workers then summoned the human resources manager and company head to question them. The Committee for the Protection of Salaries is handling the investigation. The results of the investigation will be released in due time and violators will be penalized,” said Al-Qahtani.