The labor office in Madinah is looking into a case filed by about 200 Saudi employees who were dismissed by the new company operating Prince Muhammad Bin Abdul Aziz International Airport.
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Local daily Al-Madina reported on Monday that the employees were working for the previous company which was operating the airport until late last December. But the new airport operator refused to keep them unless they agree to work with reduced salaries and forgo their fringe benefits.
The Saudis constituted about 30 percent of the employees of the former operator. The new operator, Tibah Airports Operation Company, refused to accept them in their old positions with their old salaries and benefits.
An employee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they were surprised by the company’s decision and its bargaining with them either to accept low pay or leave.
The company is responsible for maintenance which includes electric and electronic support, construction work, safety, security and cleaning.
He said the new company immediately employed their expatriate counterparts in their same jobs while it postponed its decision regarding Saudi employees until late this month.
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The employee said some of his Saudi colleagues worked for more than 20 years with various companies which were contracted to operate the airport, but they did not lose their jobs with the change of the operating companies.
The new company’s spokesman, Khaled Ouwaidah, said they were not committed to absorb the employees of the previous company as they have no contracts with them.
