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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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Visas cancelled 'hour by hour'
Visas for expatriate workers in Bahrain are being cancelled every hour due to the refusal of employers to pay the controversial BD10 ($26.50) labour fee, it has emerged.
Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) e-services and public relations manager Waheed Al Balushi was unable to say how many had been annulled but confirmed the process was underway.
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By TOM HANRATTY,
A STANDOFF between the government and the private sector continued yesterday, as businessmen staged yet another protest outside the office responsible for taxing them for their foreign staff. The sit-in outside the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA), Sanabis, lasted from 9.30am to midday.
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By BEGENA P PRADEEP,
BAHRAIN must step up the battle against human trafficking, according to a new US State Department report.
The country remains on a special watchlist of nations being monitored for what action they are taking to combat the problem, despite issuing new guidelines on the employment conditions of migrant workers.
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BY LES HORTON
I remember when I first came to Bahrain, a senior journalist described it as a “good news society”, which he said was intolerant of the truth or criticism.
There was certainly a combative relationship between the media, certain authorities and larger private organisations, who felt that they should control what appeared in local newspapers.
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HIS Majesty King Hamad yesterday highlighted the role of the Labour Ministry in promoting the labour reform project, providing work opportunities for jobseekers and training Bahrainis.
He also praised labour initiatives that have won international recognition.