Summary

Date Reported: 8 Sep 2016

Location: Saudi Arabia

Companies

Saudi Oger - Employer

Affected

Total individuals affected: 39700

Migrant & immigrant workers: ( 200 - France , Construction , Gender not reported ) , Migrant & immigrant workers: ( 10000 - India , Construction , Gender not reported ) , Migrant & immigrant workers: ( Number unknown - Lebanon , Construction , Gender not reported ) , Migrant & immigrant workers: ( Number unknown - Morocco , Construction , Gender not reported ) , Migrant & immigrant workers: ( 20000 - Philippines , Construction , Gender not reported ) , Migrant & immigrant workers: ( 8000 - Pakistan , Construction , Gender not reported ) , Migrant & immigrant workers: ( 1500 - Bangladesh , Construction , Gender not reported )

Issues

Right to Food , Failing to renew visas , Precarious/Unsuitable Living Conditions , Restricted mobility , Personal Health , Wage Theft , Freedom of Movement , Access to Non-Judicial Remedy , Deaths

Response

Response sought: Yes, by Journalist

Action taken: Beginning in June 2016, workers protested at the Saudi Oger office and set fire to a number of company vehicles. In July, a group of Moroccan employees staged a sit-in at the same office alleging salary delays of eight months. A number of foreign consulates were involved by impacted nationals. The Indian government was reportedly in talks with the Saudi government to obtain delayed salaries. The French embassy intervened to resolve the problem for French employees; around 200 French employees were suing Saudi Oger through the French courts. At least 31,000 foreign and Saudi employees had lodged complaints with the Labor and Social Ministry, who reported that it had applied fines and penalties to Saudi Oger over the labour violations. A Ministry spokesperson stated that restrictions around preventing workers for transferring sponsorship to another employer, renewing residence permits and leaving the country were eased. The Ministry took over provision of basic services at several camps where Saudi Oger had stopped supplying food, electricity, medical aid and maintenance. 50 local companies offered to provide Saudi Oger workers with employment. In January 2023, the Government of the Philippines announced ongoing negotiations for the unpaid salaries of over 10,000 Filipino construction workers in Saudi Arabia. The workers had been employed by construction companies including Saudi Oger and Saudi BinLadin, which had since gone into liquidation in 2015 and 2016. In March 2023, the Department of Migrant Workers updated that workers would receive financial aid of P10,000 - USD180 - each. DMW alsosaid that over 100 claimants had died while waiting to receive their unpaid wages. In May 2023, the Department of Migrant Workers updated that 14,000 former overseas Filipino workers may be declared eligible for back wages once the host government validates their qualifications. In August 2023, Migrante Philippines critiqued the Department of Migrant Workers for giving the OFWs false hope of getting their salary back before the end of the year. Migrante called for greater transparency from the government. The workers are still waiting for their back wages. Later, in October 2023, Philstar reports the President of the Philippines said the payment was in 'process' and that the Filipino Government were waiting for the 'details to be sorted out between the Saudi side'. In November 2023 it was reported workers had started to receive unpaid wages, however, Philippines banks refused to accept cheques in Saudi riyal. Human Rights Watch also wrote to Saudi Oger’s Liquidation Trustees in 2024, requesting details and status of the repayment schedule, but did not receive a response.

Source type: News outlet