By SOMAN BABY

TENS of thousands of ‘free visa’ workers still at large in Bahrain, a leading contractor claimed yesterday.

These men work mainly in the construction sector, switching from one employer to another, said the Bahrain Contractors Society.

president Nedham Kameshki.

“Despite several amnesties, such people have not left the country and they are encouraged by greedy contractors who employ them on a temporary basis,” he told the GDN.

“Some workers who are legally employed by construction companies now leave their employers, who are unable to pay them overtime allowances because of the present crisis in the construction industry.

“They find jobs in other construction sites where they are better paid.”

Mr Kameshki, who is also the vice-chairman of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s contractors committee, said the government should move in full force to stop this illegal practice in the labour market.

“People who employ such workers illegally are not responsible for their welfare, including insurance contributions,” he noted. “They are also not responsible for their repatriation, in case they meet with accidents.”

Mr Kameshki said the inspection campaign launched by the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) was not effective.

“If they dare to inspect five or six major construction sites in Bahrain, hundreds of illegal workers could be caught,” he said.

“We do not know how many illegal people have already been taken into custody by inspection teams.”

Meanwhile, the LMRA said it is carrying out the inspection campaign jointly with the Labour Ministry and the Interior Ministry.

“The first phase of the inspection is a survey aimed at assessing the legal status of each establishment,” said LMRA e-services and public relations manager Waheed Al Balushi.

“There are many establishments which are inactive after obtaining the commercial registration.

“We want to know whether such establishments are still functioning. This will help us update our database.”

About 25,000 establishments have already been inspected, said Mr Al Balushi. “Once all the establishments are covered, we shall start the second phase of inspection. “No company which employs people illegally will be spared during that campaign, which will start very shortly,” he said.