Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — A number of Saudi women employed by a private company as cleaners at the college of Science and Arts in Onaizah (part of the Qassim University), are complaining of inhumane treatment including low pay and arduous work. "We have no medical insurance, housing allowance or any other fringe benefits. Our need has obliged us to accept these low-pay jobs," said a cleaner who did not want her name published.



Local daily Al-Watan quoted her as saying that that the contract she signed with the service providing company has no fixed duration and she may be terminated at any time without any prior notice.



The newspaper did not name the company, but said it was providing service to Qassim University.



She said many of the Saudi women working as janitors are holders of secondary school certificates.



"There is nothing wrong in doing this basic job as long as it provides us with sustenance, but the problem is that the company exploits our financial needs to make us subservient to women supervisors who have no administrative or vocational qualifications," another female janitor said.



She said their salaries were SR1,000 until very recently, when they were raised by SR500 after many complaints. "Where is the Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf), which said it would support the salaries of Saudis working for the private sector by 50 percent?" she questioned. The woman also asked why the labor office was not doing its job of supervizing and inspecting the operational companies.



A third Saudi female cleaner said the company was using them as camouflage to show the Ministry of Labor that it has Saudized many of its available jobs. She said expatriate women are receiving higher salaries and are also given housing allowance and medical insurance.



A fourth Saudi woman said the company often asks them to perform difficult tasks, such as carrying furniture and moving heavy stuff. "The company has no consideration even for pregnant or sick women," she added.



A fifth one said when a Saudi woman resigns from the company, she will not be given a certificate of experience. "Many Saudi women have quit their jobs because the company was too harsh on them and asked them to do impossible work. They were not given any certificate of experience," she said.



Meanwhile, legal consultant Dr. Ihab Al-Solaimani described the company’s treatment of its Saudi women staff as akin to human trafficking. "The behavior of this company is disgraceful. The Saudi female employees should file a complaint to the Labor Ministry or the governorate," he said.



Al-Solaimani was surprised that Saudi women were being paid SR1,500 while the minimum wage for Saudis has been fixed at SR3,000.



"The records of the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI) will show the exact salaries of these women," he said, adding that when this happens, women should ask to be paid the difference in retrospective.



He questioned the silence of Qassim University over the practices of the operational company and said the Labor Ministry should closely watch the work of the service-providing companies.



Fadl Al-Boainain, an economic expert, said the Ministry of Labor should not allow private companies to employ Saudi men or women at a salary less than SR3,000. "This is the minimum wage decided by the government and therefore, should be respected," he said.



The expert asked the ministry and Qassim University to find an immediate solution to the problem of Saudi women cleaners with the operational company.