Hi,
This is a common practice in the Middle East that the contractors work for (8 + 2) 10 hours a day 6 days a week and the extra two hour are compulsory.
• The senior staff of almost all the contractors is not getting paid for the overtime but compensation, sometimes.
• Some contractors pay overtime for the (compulsory) extra two hours daily to the staff (the engineers, foremen and draftsmen etc.).
• The labors also restricted up to a certain number of hours and beyond that limit they don’t get paid as well.
Now,
• We are in the third month of the project that is the initial phase and being mobilized.
• The engineering & design works are in process but behind the schedule.
• Site survey and development also behind the schedule, but that has some issues from the Engineer’s end as well hence not a big issue for us at the moment.
• Our Client (and the Employer) are the government authorities and have very strict rules of project monitoring.
• We are (temporarily) in an office with a very congested space and everyone (the staff) is complaining about everything. For example, going out to smoke or wash room, printing the documents etc. (we will move to our site office about in 30 -45 days from now).
• The work site is a remote area and about 300 km far from the city.
• Now at the end of the month the management has started deducting the overtime applicable from the first day of the current month. That means the staff will not get paid for the time they had already worked this month (as overtime), the labor also would not get aid for all of their overtime hours.
• The staff is no more working after the 4 pm (7 am to 4 pm with one hour break for lunch and prayers), and the preparation & revisions of the shop drawings, method statements and material submittals are not being submitted in time and creating more delay.
• I am the senior planner; the project manager has asked me, the AC/QC manager and the HSE manager to handle the situation. The PM is negotiating with the management but he is sure that the he would not succeed to get that back for all but just a few people at site.
I believe;
• The overtime culture must be abolished. (not common in the ME)
• The contractor must strict on the project calendar. (not common in the ME)
• All of these factors especially organization finance and recruitment policy must be considered during the estimating the project. (not common in the ME)
• At least HR, Payroll, Accounts/Finance and estimation departments must be get engaged in the program. (not common in the ME)
Now I need experts’ opinion on this situation (how to get the project back on track and make these people to work faster). Especially I need onions of Mr. Testro (Sir), Mr. Devaux (Sir), MS. Nadeera, Mr. Mustafa, Mr. Nabil, Mr. Sameer, Mr. Rafael Davila, Mr. Mohsen Syed, Mr. Vladimir Liberzon and Mr. Diaa El Masry to recommend me some action.
Cheers