Ministry sets up call centers to help resolve labor disputes

JEDDAH: The Ministry of Labor has begun to provide services to workers with labor dispute cases via call centers in Makkah, Riyadh, Arar, Hail, Najran, and Jazan. Work is ongoing to expand services to other regions gradually, according to an official report by the Labor Dispute Settlement Department at the Ministry. The report indicated that the goal of these service centers is to provide an additional channel for workers to communicate with authorities regarding labor dispute cases, without having to visit the offices in person. According to the report, these new call centers will keep track of dispute cases providing guidance to callers, and notifying parties of the dates of meetings and important appointments. All employees at these centers are females, trained to provide services and respond to frequently asked questions. The labor dispute settlement program also includes the development of a comprehensive communications system via mail. An agreement was recently signed with the Saudi Post and Aramex to provide means to deliver any notifications to the interested parties. The report also indicated the establishment of internal translation offices in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam, which will assist workers who do not speak Arabic. The translation services, which include Urdu, Tagalog, and English, are provided in person or via phone. -arabnews