Trade unions do not apply in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In this regard, the legislative authorities have granted workers extensive protection under the ACT and have opened the Labour Court (“LC”), which provides its services in full and electronic form and is completely independent of hrsd. Through the ACT, an employee is able to obtain their rights as quickly as possible from other courts. In addition, hrsD has launched two platforms in this regard that are still under development: in addition, passport confiscation, high hiring fees and misleading hiring practices are ongoing and remain largely unpunished, and workers are prohibited from joining unions or going on strike. If there is a settlement between the parties, the report issued by the Out-of-Court Settlement Department will be recognized as a legally enforceable “document”. In the event of non-compliance by either party, the executing judge may issue an invoice to be sent to the party. If they do not pay the bill within five days, they will be subject to various penalties, including a travel ban. Around the same time, the company restricted its weekly public meetings in response to leaks, reducing their frequency and reducing its scope from general management issues to product and business strategies. TGIF meetings have played a leading role in Google`s culture of transparency. While the company has long taken action against leaks,[6] journalists called the company`s actions in November a “crackdown.” [8] [6] Internal activists cited other recent policy changes in their accusation of corporate retaliation against class action: employee policies on political speech,[1] web browser history trackers, anti-union consultants,[10] and a calendar tool to track events with more than 100 participants. [2] Court documents later showed that during this time, the company set up a program called Project Vivian to engage workers and convince them to support the unions. [12] Any person between the ages of 18 and 60 who is in good physical shape and possesses the professional and academic qualifications required by the Kingdom (if there is a lack of citizens with such qualifications) or who belongs to the categories of workers required by the Kingdom may be employed in Saudi Arabia.

Such a person, who holds a passport with a validity of at least 6 months, must have entered the country legally and have an employment contract with an employer under whose responsibility he must remain for the duration of the contract. Country-specific laws What laws and regulations govern the employment relationship? The Saudi legal system is based on Sharia law. The employment relationship between employers and employees is mainly governed by the Labour Code (Royal Decree M/51 23 Sha`ban 1426/27 September 2005), which covers all aspects of the employment relationship, including employment contracts, wages and benefits, holidays, working hours and dismissal. The Labour Code is supplemented by ministerial decisions of the Ministry of Labour. (c) Disability? A legal quota requires that a certain percentage of staff be disabled if the nature of the work so permits. In practice, however, employers rarely meet this quota due to the lack of skilled disabled workers. Employers who wish to employ women workers must also consider Saudi Arabia`s unique legal environment. Contracts Does an employment contract have to be drawn up in writing? Employment contracts are legal and binding and must be in writing, especially for non-Saudi nationals. Arabic is the official language of contracts, data and employment records, and therefore the Arabic text of the contract applies in case of conflict between the provisions of the treaty and any English document. Sharan Burrow, ITUC general secretary, said there was not a single union in Saudi Arabia because the law did not allow its existence. The maximum legal working time for workers in the private sector is eight hours a day or 48 hours a week. Workers are entitled to 30-minute breaks for rest, prayer and meals per five hours of work.

Despite the ban on strikes, there have been several illegal strikes by migrant workers, usually for unpaid wages. In Saudi Arabia, the employee must apply for a residence permit or Iqama from the Ministry of Labor (see FAQ #7). The Ministry of Labour will forward the approved application to the Ministry of the Interior, where the Iqama will be issued through the Passport Branch. Employees must take their Iqama with them at all times to prove that they are legally authorized to live and work in Saudi Arabia. The report, due on January 25 to be presented to the World Trade Organization`s (WTO) review of the Kingdom`s trade policy, found that Saudi Arabia violates all core labor standards. An Iqama is a residence permit. The local employer applies for and obtains the work permit and the Iqama so that the employee can legally work and live in Saudi Arabia. The employer is considered a local sponsor. An Iqama is issued to expats who come to Saudi Arabia on a work visa. What are the rules for the recognition of trade unions? Trade unions are not allowed in Saudi Arabia.

However, the Labour Code allows the establishment of workers` councils only for Saudi nationals. 2.6 How do the rights of trade unions and works councils interact? 2.1 What are the rules for the recognition of trade unions? In Saudi Arabia and all other Gulf states, workers who leave their employers without their consent can be charged with “absconding” and face imprisonment and deportation. Human Rights Watch research in the Gulf states has shown that migrant workers risk such punishment even if they flee exploitation or abuse. Some employers file fake cases of flight to evade their legal obligations to pay wages or provide food and shelter. Trade unions are not allowed in Saudi Arabia. The Labour Code allows the establishment of workers` councils only for Saudi nationals. Saudi nationals are allowed to form workers` committees in workplaces employing more than 100 (Saudi workers). However, migrant workers cannot join these committees. The last working day is valid from the end of the employer`s period of service and the end of the day specified in the contract or on the basis of its conditions. The existence of a third party is not necessary for the termination of the contract, but if one of the parties claims that the termination is unlawful, it will be understood by the LC. It therefore seeks compensation in accordance with the Treaty or Article 77 LL, also as regards the nature of the present case. The employee has the right to obtain a copy of the contract or a bilateral agreement concluded under the contract, and he has the right to request a copy of the commercial register corresponding to the trade name and commercial register number as in the contract.