Citizens reporting labor violations to be rewarded

JEDDAH: The Ministry of Labor and Social Development will grant citizens who report labor violations a reward that equals 10 percent of the fine imposed on the violator upon collection.
Spokesman for the Ministry of Labor and Social Development Khaled Abalkhail said the reward is in line with the labor law, which gives the minister the right to grant a reward to citizens who help the ministry’s inspection employees in monitoring irregularities.
He said that the “Maan Monitoring” application aims to widen the circle of smart and electronic services to improve transparency and direct accountability with the support of society.
The application, available in the Kingdom, also aims to encourage society to play a role in monitoring and helping authorities address problems in the labor market.
The spokesman said that the app allows the reporting of six labor violations, and that more will be added in the coming months.
The violations are: Selling work visas or meddling in that process; laborers working in direct sunlight, bad weather and during the ministry’s working hours ban without precautions; employers registering Saudi citizens among their workers without their knowledge or consent; employing non-Saudis in jobs limited to Saudis; employing men to perform women’s jobs; meddling in the recruitment of workers without the ministry’s approval.
Abalkhail said the reward is based on the bonus system that counts the reward as a part of the fine upon its collection.
The spokesman said that in order for the reward to be granted, an individual needs to meet certain criteria. These are: The complaint must be sent through Maan; the offense has to be acknowledged; it has to be reported within 30 days of its occurrence. The report has to be accurate. If a person's reports are found false in three consecutive cases, the person would be suspended from reporting for a minimum of six months.
If a complaint is made by more than one person, the award goes to the person who first lodged the complaint on the app.
Abalkhail said that the reward system starts from Sunday. The Maan app is available on Apple and Android.