255 workers in Saudi went unpaid for a year

More than 250 workers in Saudi Arabia have been handed SAR28m (US$7.5m) in back pay after having been made to wait a year for their salaries, it was reported. Jeddah-based Saudi Gazette said that an unnamed company had refused to pay its employees working in the Eastern Province and Riyadh, in addition to withholding their passports. The paper reported that while 255 staff had finally been paid their wages, a further 40, none of whom are Saudi nationals, are being made to wait longer, as their residence permits have not been renewed. A Riyadh-based compound owned by the company has also since then been reportedly sold to new owners. One worker who preferred to remain anonymous said that the new owners want to reduce their salaries, force them to work extra hours and not provide accommodation. Previously, three complaints have been fielded by the workers against their sponsors over delayed salaries and end-of-service benefits. The workers want to contact the government's immigration department in hope that they can get the money from their accounts which has been pending the renewal of their residence permits.