Gulf Daily News
Monday, 4th July 2011
3
Talks lined up on
labour
rights
n Some labour camps are below minimum health and safety standards
By REBECCA TORR
pensation payouts to reflect the true values of
the damage caused.
The MWPS want the quality and safety of
STRICTER labour laws and penalties will
top the agenda of a migrant workers’ group labour accommodation to be improved and for
more inspectors to be employed.
at the National Dialogue.
The society recommends the provision of a
Stiff punishments are needed for employers
that withhold their worker’s passports as well bank of ‘on call’ translators at all government
as sponsors and manpower agencies that do not authorities to ensure a fair representation of
issue residence permits or CPRs for workers, each case.
MWPS calls for the introduction of evening
says the Migrant Workers Protection Society
sessions at the Labour Ministry since most
(MWPS).
Domestic workers must be included in the low-income workers are unable to access their
labour law and Bahrain should sign the recently services.
They end up losing their rights to file comadopted convention by the International Labour
plaints during the daytime for fear,
Organisation (ILO), ‘Decent Work
for example, of losing their jobs for
for Domestic Workers’, it added.
absconding, it said.
These recommendations are
The society also calls for a uniamong 15 that have been put forward
form approach and consistency of
by the MWPS to be discussed in the
procedures between police officDialogue.
ers and the staff at Dar Al Aman,
“The MWPS considers many of
the government shelter for women,
the practices of manpower agencies
regarding access for admission by
to be unacceptable and would welfemale domestic workers and others.
come a complete reform of their
MWPS will be represented in
often unscrupulous and cruel meththe Dialogue by Bahrain Human
ods of operating,” it said in its list of
n Mr Fulad
Rights Watch Society (BHRWS)
recommendations.
secretary-general Faisal Fulad, who
“MWPS considers that the justice system
submitted the recommendations to parliament
does not move quickly enough.
“Workers can be caught in the trap of wait- and National Dialogue chairman Khalifa Al
ing for a court case for lengthy periods during Dhahrani yesterday.
“There are 75,000 domestic workers and
which they are unable to work and therefore
unable to support either their families overseas there is no labour law for them and this is
one of the demands from UN Human Rights
or themselves.”
MWPS recommends that all nationals work- Council,” Mr Fulad told the GDN.
“There should be a law to protect domestic
ing in Bahrain in significant numbers have an
workers in Bahrain.
embassy or a consular office here.
“We have more than 340,000 migrant workThis is urgently needed in particular for
the Sri Lankan community, but also for the ers in Bahrain and must consider their rights
Ethiopian and Nepalese communities, says for social justice, proper shelter, no trafficking
and so on.
MWPS.
“Bahrain is always concerned about this sec“Nationals of these countries are sadly
neglected and therefore more vulnerable to tor, so for this reason the MWPS gave us their
abuse, having to rely on voluntary support views and we have put them with ours.”
Mr Fulad said he would be calling for action
when in need,” it added.
Other demands include increasing the number to be taken regarding employers who abuse the
of Labour Ministry building site inspectors, sponsorship system by making workers stay
making it mandatory for large companies to with them for longer than what was initially
employ qualified safety officers and for com- agreed on.
He will also raise issues
concerning the poor living
and working conditions of
workers and abuse cases.
“There are hundreds of
cases in the labour court
where employers sack leaders of strikes and won’t give
their staff salary for four or
five months and then we have
camps which have very bad
living, safety and health standards,” said Mr Fulad.
“Some workers don’t know
the language and won’t have
anyone to translate their
rights.
“Bahrain has become betn Domestic workers must be protected under the labour law
ter than before over issues related to human
trafficking.
“However, there are still problems with
domestic workers who will work from 6am to
2am during Ramadan and nothing can be done
because there is no agreement for how long
they should work.
“Rights of religion is an issue, some are not
allowed to go to church or not allowed to go for
medical treatment. There are also sexual harassment problems with many court cases on this.
“On Tuesday the Dialogue will discuss
women and child rights and we will address
the Family Law for Jaffari as well as the rights
for domestic workers and women working in
garment factories.”
[email protected]
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