Investors in the cement products sector have pointed out that many residential, commercial, and investment projects for citizens have stalled due to a shortage of drivers and skilled workers, as well as disruptions caused by certain government measures, including the regularization of employment status. This has created a black market, particularly for drivers, some of whom are now setting conditions and making demands that may be excessive, but many companies are forced to agree to this under pressure from lost opportunities resulting from the breakdown of many of their vehicles, and the legitimate urgency of customers for prompt service following delays in the completion of their various projects, noting that stalled road projects and ongoing detours over the years continue to be one of the most significant problems facing concrete investors, as it is well known that the cement used in ready-mix concrete—to which other materials are added—has a limited shelf life before it spoils and becomes unusable, and its use after that carries serious risks.
The ready-mix concrete and cement products sector is not thriving under the control of some drivers and field workers. We have increased the salaries of workers and drivers by 50 percent, yet we continue to struggle, as some of them are now absent from work on the pretext that they aresick, only for us to discover that they have struck a deal with another company. Abdulaziz Al-Turaiki, a former board member of the Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce and an investor in ready-mix concrete and cement products, noted that investors are facing numerous challenges that disrupt their operations, and a new problem has recently emerged: a severe shortage of labor, to the point where drivers are now controlling and threatening the companies and institutions that employ them, companies must either meet their demands—most of which would be unacceptable under normal circumstances—or move to other companies and institutions that do comply. As for investor Hamoud Al-Mahashir Al-Khalidi (an investor in the brick industry), emphasizes that conditions in the ready-mix concrete and cement products sector are not favorable given the control exerted by some drivers and field workers. We have increased the salaries of workers and drivers by 50 percent, yet we continue to struggle, as some of them have started from work claiming to be sick, only for us to discover that they have struck a deal with another company to drive a cement container to a location in the Eastern Province. Unfortunately, this has become a frequent occurrence amid the chaos resulting from labor reform measures, and the lack of a temporary system to prevent exploitation by some workers and the parties that benefit from them or cover for them in exchange for money.
Abdullah Al-Mansour, a citizen and owner of stalled housing projects, says:He agreed with the contractor to receive the home within a period not exceeding 18 months, but two years and four months have now passed and he has not received the project, due to problems related to ready-mix concrete and the contractor’s shifting from one housing project to another, He calls on the relevant authorities to intervene to put an end to the excuses—as he put it—of those causing delays in project delivery.