Laborfest: Saudi Arabia Labor System

Labor System and Unrest in Saudi Arabia
by Sharat G. Lin
The system of expatriate labor contracting in Saudi Arabia pays workers from different countries entirely different wage scales for the same work, enslaves workers by seizing their passports, bans unions, and establishes elaborate systems of segregation and hierarchy. The labor system, employing as many as 9 million foreign workers, was pioneered by U.S. oil companies and management contractors. Deep-seated unrest lies just beneath the surface.
Sharat G. Lin writes on global political economy, labor migration, the Middle East, and South Asia. He lived in Saudi Arabia, and travels frequently to the region. He is a research fellow at the San Jose Peace and Justice Center
See also:
http://sfpl.org/?pg=0300000201 (Mary Louise Strong room)
http://www.laborfest.net/2016/2016schedule.htm