A FREE medical camp for more than 300 workers will be held at the Gulf City Cleaning Company’s labour accommodation in Salmabad tomorrow Continue reading
Category Archives: Gulf Daily News
Parents have the right to be heard
| I am not in favour of the closure of Bahrain’s schools in fear of an outbreak of swine flu, despite my apparent sympathy for those who made the decision Continue reading |
Step up war on trafficking
BAHRAIN could face an influx of illegal workers if it does not face up to human trafficking, a leading rights activist has warned. Although the problem of immigrants attempting to gain access to the country’s shores is not major now, it could soon become a significant issue in the Gulf, said Migrant Workers’ Protection Society action committee head Marietta Dias Continue reading
Labour fees ‘forcing shops to shut down’
HUNDREDS of shops could have been forced to close as a result of the government’s “crippling” labour market fees, it has been claimed.
Bahrain’s small and medium-size business owners say the burden of the BD10 monthly charge for foreign workers has driven many to pull the plug on their enterprises Continue reading
How LMRA can save millions in training
recently read about Tamkeen and Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) helping small and medium enterprises in Bahrain to develop and improve their organisations Continue reading
New fee blow!
FISHERMEN already on the verge of financial ruin have been hit by a new insurance fee for Indian workers.
The Indian Embassy has introduced a BD950 fee per expatriate which sponsors have to pay into an Indian bank account before they come to Bahrain.
Fishermen are due to raise the issue with Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa during a meeting today.
They say the fee will be a major burden, costing them hundreds of thousands of dinars. Continue reading
Expat workers soar by 19%
A FOREIGN recruitment drive saw Bahraini firms employ more expats than ever during the 12 months leading up to the end of March, according to new figures released by the government.
A total of 71,000 foreign workers were hired since March last year, swelling the country’s expat workforce by 18.8 per cent.
Expats accounted for around two-thirds of Bahrain’s workforce by the end of the first quarter of this year.
Strike threat
By BASMA MOHAMMED
BAHRAIN’S fishermen yesterday threatened a new wave of demonstrations followed by strike action unless they get government support.
Bahraini fishermen want full exemption from the BD10-a-month levy per expatriate worker because they claim they can only find foreign crewmen.
They also want financial compensation for lost earnings, in an industry they say has been decimated by land reclamation and declining catches.
Visa check an SMS away
By MANDEEP SINGH,
EXPATRIATES working in Bahrain are a text message away from being able to check their visa status following the launch of a new scheme.
The Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) has teamed up with local firm Mobile Information Services to offer the portal service, which will cost only 50 fils.
Visas ultimatum
By TOM HANRATTY,
EXPATRIATE workers whose visas have been cancelled as part of a crackdown on companies that refuse to pay their labour fees will be offered a one-month grace period.
The Labour Ministry Regulatory Authority (LMRA) has begun annulling the status of staff employed by firms who decline to stump up the controversial BD10 fee.
Continue reading