By BASMA MOHAMMED, 

BAHRAIN trade unionists have called for a ban on unskilled foreign workers being brought into the country, saying that is the only way to end labour exploitation

The General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions (GFBTU) claimed it would benefit the economy to build an organised workforce of skilled personnel.

GFBTU secretary-general Salman Mahfoodh accused some Bahraini companies of relying on low-paid, untrained expats to do jobs that should be done by qualified workers.

He said action was needed immediately, claiming the time for workshops and raising awareness had long passed.

“The economy is based on the construction sector, which is a sector that naturally has a tough work environment and low salaries,” he told the GDN on the sidelines of a human trafficking workshop in Juffair yesterday.

“This sector would rather have low-paid, unskilled labours than skilled workers – regardless of how they end up here.”

The two-day Human Trafficking for Labour Exploitation workshop got underway yesterday at the Ramee International Hotel.

It is organised by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and its Asia Pacific branch (ITUC-AP), in co-operation with the GFBTU.

During the event, Mr Mahfoodh complained that unskilled foreign workers were often forced to give up their rights to secure job in the Gulf – doing jobs that did not have visas.

Blackmail

“Individuals should not be blackmailed into relinquishing their freedom and human dignity for the sake of working,” he added.

He also called for increased co-operation between unions around the world to combat those who profited from trafficking for labour exploitation.

“When a labourer is going to a country, the union there should be able to check his contract details before he arrives,” he said.

“This is to ensure the contract follows the country’s laws and regulations.”

However, he claimed labour trafficking in Bahrain was a small problem compared to other GCC countries – but said it was time domestic workers such as housemaids were finally covered by labour laws.

“We have laws in most cases,” he added.

“We only need to include domestic workers in the labour law as well to make it complete.”

Participants at the workshop include representatives of the International Labour Organisation, ITUC, ITUC-AP and the Solidarity Centre, as well as union representatives from Kuwait and Jordan.

The workshop is set to conclude with recommendations that will be presented to government bodies including the Labour Ministry.