A major reform to labour laws in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) will strengthen employee rights by introducing a new layer of legal accountability and help streamline wage dispute resolution, an expert has said.
KSA-based employment expert Dr. Sairah Narmah-Alqasim of Pinsent Masons was commenting following the launch of the updated ‘unified employment contract’ – a new legally binding framework designed to strengthen contractual relationships and safeguard the rights of employers and employees while allowing workers the opportunity to expedite the resolution of wage-related disputes.
The initiative will see the integration of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD)’s Qiwa portal and the Ministry of Justice’s (MOJ) Najiz platform, making wage clauses in employment contracts documented on Qiwa legally enforceable directly before the KSA enforcement courts. This will allow workers to bypass traditional labour dispute channels and file wage claims directly via Najiz, significantly streamlining the dispute resolution process.
The launch of the new standardised contract was announced by both the MOJ and the MHRSD and follows other recent moves by the KSA government to protect workers and streamline processes, diversify the economy and attract global investment in line with KSA’s Vision 2030 goals.
The initiative is expected to reduce wage-related disputes and boost transparency in the workplace by introducing new procedures for documenting an...
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