Employees at construction giant Saudi Binladin Group have reportedly set fire to more than seven company buses in the latest protest against alleged late payment of salaries and a reported 50,000 redundancies.
Major Nayef Al Sharif, spokesman for the Makkah Civil Defense, confirmed on Saturday that firefighters put out the flames and there were no injuries, according to reports.
It is the latest in a string of protests in Makkah and Jeddah by the firm’s employees, many of whom claim they have not been paid for up to six months.
There are also reports circulating that thousands of foreign workers employed by Saudi Binladin Group have been laid off. Arabic daily Al Watan quoted an unnamed source on Friday as saying the company has terminated employment for 50,000 foreign workers and issued them exit visas. Many of those workers are apparently refusing to leave without being paid their late wages, the newspaper said.
The Binladin Group has yet to issue a statement about the protests or the reported layoffs.
It is one of the biggest construction firms in the world and has around 200,000 workers, according to its LinkedIn page.
The attack on the company’s buses comes after local newspapers reported that five construction workers were injured when a company official hit them with his car after they protested over late payment of salaries. Police are reportedly investigating the incident.
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