Labor Ministry bans eight recruitment firms

JEDDAH: The Ministry of Labor withdrew the licenses of eight recruitment firms and offices over the course of the Islamic calendar year that ended on Oct. 14, for failing to comply with regulations that included not sticking to hiring costs as published on the ministry’s website.
There were also warnings issued to 305 offices over the same period after ministry inspectors spotted various violations, a local publication reported recently.
The ministry explained that it withdrew the licenses of one recruitment firm and seven offices, suspended the licenses of two firms and one office, and issued warnings to 98 firms and 207 offices. It also froze all services to 21 recruitment offices during 1436 AH.
The ministry said that it would continue to crack down on operators that do not comply with the regulations on costing and other hiring procedures promised to their clients. It urged clients to report violations on the customer service phone number 19911, or on the Musaned website.
The ministry requires all recruitment firms and offices in the Kingdom to publish the recruitment costs of expatriate workers to ensure transparency, fairness and guarantee the rights of workers and employers.
The ministry’s electronic portal, Musaned, was launched last year to bridge the gap between employers and their workers. The site has comprehensive information on licensed recruitment offices, provides mechanisms for filing complaints and reporting disputes, displays samples of required documents including exit/re-entry visas and residency permit forms.
The ministry has recently improved the customer service center on the site where information on rights and duties are found in eight languages.