LMRA wins two awards at major web forum

MANAMA

THE Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) won two of the eight awards for government ministries and organisations, presented at the opening of the Bahrain International e-Government Forum last night. The LMRA won the awards in the E-Maturity and E-Content categories.

The awards were presented by Deputy Prime Minister and Supreme Committee for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) chairman Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa.

Continue reading

New law will boost labour safety

By MOHAMMED AL A’ ALI

A NEW law restricting the number of occupants in labour accommodation as well as further improving safety standards could soon be implemented in the Central Governorate.

It is currently being drafted by the Central Municipal Council, which says that it wants to ensure that labourers, who currently number up to 50 in each accommodation, are out of harms way.

Continue reading

Expats ‘no threat to job security’

By GEOFFREY BEW

BAHRAINIS have nothing to fear about the continuing influx of migrant workers to the country, a leading Pakistani researcher said yesterday.

Dr Ijaz Shafi Gilani, who served as an adviser to Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from 1991 to 1993, said the perception that expatriates were a threat to national culture and job security was mistaken.

Continue reading

Labour alternative plan

MANAMA: Labour Minister Dr Majeed Al Alawi yesterday said that he was seeking alternatives to Indian labour. He revealed that his recent tour of Asian countries was aimed at exploring new labour recruitment opportunities. Dr Al Alawi said that the ministry started implementing BD230 minimum wages for jobseekers, with a hope of increasing to BD300. He pointed out that BD30 millions in unemployment benefits funds are spent monthly, denying report of the benefit stoppage.

Worker ‘being held hostage’

By Begena P pPradeep

An Indian man was allegedly being held hostage by his Bahraini sponsor last night for filing a complaint against him at the Indian Embassy.

The 39-year-old, who has been working for three years at an aluminium workshop in Salmabad, was said to have been locked up to prevent him from accompanying the dead body of his wife’s brother-in-law home.

Continue reading

Six-year cap for workers

DUBAI: The UAE has been urged to put a six-year cap on workers’ residencies. The Federal National Council’s internal affairs and defence committee said workers should leave the country after six years and only be allowed back after obtaining a new residency visa.

The committee said this would allow the country to circumvent obligations that might be imposed by international conventions regarding foreign manpower.

The proposals would require the approval of the Cabinet and UAE President Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Online debate invite by LMRA

By SOMAN BABY

BAHRAINIS and expatriates have been invited to take part in an online public debate on the Labour Market Regulatory Authority’s (LMRA) decisions on work visas and mobility of foreign workers.

The LMRA has prepared three decisions to regulate the procedure of work permits management and various transactions related to foreign labour.

Continue reading