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Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: Members of the Workers' Committee at Abdul Latif Jameel have elected Mr. Khalid Mashhoor Al Garni to serve as Chairman of the Committee for the term of its 3rd cycle beginning this month. The Workers' Committee at the company aims to provide Abdul Latif Jameel's employees with a recognised platform from which they can voice their opinions about employee matters and working conditions. The Committee has been in place since 2007.
In 2002 the Government of Saudi Arabia introduced new legislation allowing employees to elect their representatives and set up workers' committees. The legislation allows organizations with one hundred or more workers to establish such committees to function as a means of dialogue between employees and employers, with the goal to improve working conditions and productivity. Abdul Latif Jameel was one of the first companies to establish a worker's committee.
The election of the Chairman took place during the Annual Meeting attended by the nine original members elected by company staff, and was held at Abdul Latif Jameel's HQ in Jeddah. Chairman Khalid Al Garni presented a review of the Committee's first and second cycle achievements both domestically and internationally.
Through a consensus process members re-elected Mr. Khalid Al Garni as Chairman of the Committee for the term of its third cycle, and Mr. Rafea Al Ruweili was elected as Vice Chairman. Members also reviewed the Committee's agenda for 2015, which will be approved during its next meeting held later this month in Al Khobar.
Mr. Al Garni commented: "The Committee's national and international success would not have been possible without the unlimited support of the company's President Eng. Mohamed Abdul Latif Jameel. Thanks to his support, the Committee managed to spearhead several activities, such as organizing workers' talks across the Kingdom, which helped to connect employees with their employers."
Since its establishment, the Committee has contributed, alongside several other committees, to support the work of Workers Committees. The Workers' Committee formed part of Saudi Arabia's official delegation at many conferences, including the Arab and International Workers Conferences since 2008, and the G-20 Workers Meetings in Paris, Mexico and Russia. The Committee also participated in several regional labour conferences and forums representing Saudi Arabia.
Furthermore, the Committee also participated in the crucial 'Four Community Dialogues' led by the Ministry of Labour, which addressed working hours, the minimum wage, women's work, and the settlement of labour disputes.
Internally, the Committee managed to become the focal point for linking the company's leadership to its staff. It participated in many of the decisions taken over the past years, which were aimed at improving the work environment, by developing the physical work place, increasing benefits to employees, raising productivity, reducing working hours to 45 hours per week, increasing the weekend to two days, as well as by doubling the budget of housing loans for Saudi nationals, and offering better health insurance.
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About Abdul Latif Jameel Group
Established in 1945, Abdul Latif Jameel Group (the Group), is a family-owned diversified business with dual headquarters located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Dubai, UAE. The Group's geographic footprint extends to 17 countries in the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey, Asia-Pacific, and Europe. The Group is best known for its core automotive operations and associated value chain businesses, which had their origin in the Group's appointment as an authorised distributor for Toyota in Saudi Arabia in 1955. Since then, the Group has diversified into financing, parts manufacturing, electronics distribution, advertising, media, and events. In 2012, the Group further diversified into several new sectors, including energy, with an initial focus on renewables, and residential and commercial real estate development within the MENAT region. The Group employs about 15,800 people globally. Abdul Latif Jameel Group is proud of its award-winning and multi-faceted corporate social responsibility programs operated independently as Abdul Latif Jameel Community Initiatives (ALJCI). www.alj.com & www.aljci.org
For further information, please contact:
Hassan Alsubhi
Senior General Manager, Media Relations
Mobile: +966 5 04606128, +966 5 44024040
Email: subhihh@alj.com
© Press Release 2015
