By SOMAN BABY

EMPLOYERS in Bahrain have reported nearly 4,000 runaway cases to the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA), it has been revealed.

The LMRA had earlier urged employers to report all runaway cases to its office before June 30, to avoid fees and legal liability.

However, the LMRA, which took over the responsibility of issuing work visas to expats from the Labour Ministry, is still accepting complaints about runaway expatriate workers.

Employers who have already reported runaway cases to the Labour Ministry should also take a copy of the report to the LMRA, to ensure that its database is accurate, said LMRA e-services and public relations manager Waheed Al Balushi.

“We have so far received reports of nearly 4,000 runaway workers,” he told the GDN.

“In fact, we do not want to officially call them runaway workers. We want to say that they are absent from work.

“The employers should confirm to LMRA all the previous reports registered with the Labour Ministry, in order to exclude such workers from the payment of monthly fees, which are being imposed on foreign workers starting this month.”

However, notifying the LMRA will not relieve employers from their obligations to meet the cost of workers’ repatriation, to the destinations specified in the employment contract, or to their native home, said Mr Al Balushi.

“We want to be fair to both parties. If we have contact numbers of the so-called runaway workers, they will be asked to report to us within one month and clarify their position,” he added.

“Also, those workers who suspect that their employers have branded them as runaways will soon be able to check their status by feeding their CPR number in the e-services section of our website www.lmra.bh.”

Mr Al Balushi appealed to employers or their authorised representatives to visit the LMRA headquarters at Sanabis during business hours, to report all workers who have absconded.

Employees who have disputes with their employers are also urged to report to the LMRA.

Mr Al Balushi said expatriates whose residence permits have been expired for six months or more should not approach the LMRA.

Such people should report to the General Directorate of Nationality, Passports and Residence to rectify the situation.

“We shall try to help those people whose residence permit has expired less than six months ago,” said Mr Al Balushi