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Trade Unions Demand ILO Inquiry into Saudi Migrant Worker Abuse as Riyadh Seals Fresh Labor Deal

Human rights groups insist on public disclosure via independent scrutiny designed to ensure Saudi Arabia’s labor reforms safeguard vulnerable migrant workers

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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman joins President Donald Trump to greet delegations at the Royal Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Migrant workers are seen at a constrution site near Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on 02 March, 2024. (Photo by Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
FILE - In this May 8, 2014, file photo a man works on construction of the Kingdom Tower, a planned 252-story building, which aims to become the world's tallest skyscraper when complete, in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia.(AP Photo/Hasan Jamali, File)

Overview

  • International Trade Union Confederation members from 36 countries filed a formal ILO complaint alleging forced labor, wage theft, physical and sexual abuse, and systemic discrimination under Saudi Arabia’s kafala system.
  • Saudi Arabia signed a renewed cooperation agreement with the ILO on the same day, proposing measures such as fair recruitment practices, a national minimum wage, improved job mobility, and enhanced compensation for injured or killed workers.
  • Trade unions are calling for a Commission of Inquiry—the ILO’s highest-level investigative tool—to conduct a thorough probe into alleged labor rights violations in the kingdom.
  • Amnesty International and other rights groups warn that without independent monitoring and public access to agreement details, reforms risk remaining superficial.
  • The kingdom’s rapid expansion of migration-driven construction projects ahead of the 2034 FIFA World Cup has intensified global scrutiny of worker protections.