Riyadh Boosts Labor Market by Establishing 7 Labor Courts

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Riyadh Boosts Labor Market by Establishing 7 Labor Courts

The Supreme Council of Magistracy of Saudi Arabia approved on Tuesday the establishment of a number of labor courts and labor departments at appeals and a general courts

This step aims at achieving more safety, raising the attractiveness of the Saudi labor market and fostering justice in the business sector. The overall number of courts will be 96.

They will be set up in Riyadh, Mecca, Medina, Buraydah, Dammam, Jeddah and Abha.

Twenty-seven labor departments will be established at 21 general courts in various cities and provinces in the Kingdom. In addition, nine labor departments will be established at six appeals courts.

Council spokesman and Secretary General Salman Nashwan said that designating these departments was based on statistics revealed by the Saudi Ministry of Labor in resolving labor disputes in recent years.

Legal consultant and lawyer Ahmed Mahameed told Asharq Al-Awsat that inaugurating the labor courts is a transitional leap in the specialized judiciary and it provides a safe environment to support saudization and recruitment in the private sector.

It offers an organized judicial environment for business owners, he added.

The specialized labor judiciary has a supervisory role in activating labor systems and ensuring the rights of all labor contract parties.



Starbucks Strike to Expand to over 300 US Stores on Christmas Eve, Union Says

Starbucks employees, union members and supporters strike outside of a Starbucks store which is closed down due to the strike on December 23, 2024 in New York City. (Getty Images/AFP)
Starbucks employees, union members and supporters strike outside of a Starbucks store which is closed down due to the strike on December 23, 2024 in New York City. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Starbucks Strike to Expand to over 300 US Stores on Christmas Eve, Union Says

Starbucks employees, union members and supporters strike outside of a Starbucks store which is closed down due to the strike on December 23, 2024 in New York City. (Getty Images/AFP)
Starbucks employees, union members and supporters strike outside of a Starbucks store which is closed down due to the strike on December 23, 2024 in New York City. (Getty Images/AFP)

A strike at Starbucks' US stores will expand to over 300 stores on Tuesday, with more than 5,000 workers expected to walk off the job, before the five-day work stoppage ends later on Christmas Eve, the workers' union said.

Starbucks Workers United, representing employees at 525 stores nationwide, said more than 60 US stores across 12 major cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Boston and Seattle, were shut on Monday.

Talks between Starbucks and the union had hit an impasse with unresolved issues over wages, staffing and schedules, leading to the strike.

The Christmas Eve strike on Tuesday was projected to be the largest ever at the coffee chain, the union added. "These strikes are an initial show of strength, and we're just getting started," an Oregon barista said in a union statement.

When asked for a response, a Starbucks spokesperson referred to a company statement it released on Monday.

It said that the vast majority of Starbucks stores will continue to operate and serve customers, adding that it expects a "very limited impact" to overall operations. Starbucks has over 10,000 company-operated stores across the US.

"We are ready to continue negotiations when the union comes back to the bargaining table", the company said.

The Seattle-headquartered firm had previously claimed that the union delegates prematurely ended the bargaining session.

Earlier this month, the workers' group rejected an offer of no immediate wage hike and a guarantee of a 1.5% pay increase in future years.

The union also said that Starbucks has yet to present its workers with "a serious economic proposal."