Bahrain to issue new laws to protect foreign workers
Move to improve work conditions for migrant workers comes after MoU with India in 2007
Bahrain’s labour ministry is set to introduce new revisions to the kingdom’s labour law aimed at improving work conditions for all migrant workers and protecting their rights.
The move follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding with India in 2007, said Labour Minister, Jameel Humaidan. The new legislation would clearly stipulate rights and duties of workers, including a work contract and vacation days among other conditions, the minister said.
“Bahrain’s legislation protects workers at all levels,” Humaidan told the Gulf Daily News. “There is freedom of association and foreign workers can join trade unions,” he added. “So you see all these factors attract qualified Indian manpower and we are doing our best to protect labour rights.”
Signifying a shift towards greater awareness of labour rights, earlier this year, the Qatar Ministry of Labour introduced a Labour Union that aims to protect the rights of workers.
An independent and elected body, the Union will cover workers of all nationalities. It will have the right to receive the complaints of workers and resolve their complaints, the Ministry said.
The move to establish the Union comes as Qatar plans to scrap the sponsorship of foreign workers and replace it with a contract between the employer and the worker.
Qatar intends to recruit more than one million workers as it builds towards the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
