Government rejects imam–muezzin cadre; pensions at risk

TDT | Manama

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Pensions could be suspended, the government warns, as it rejects MPs’ plan for a special cadre for imams and muezzins on the grounds it clashes with civil service rules.

In written replies to the Council of Representatives, the government said the plan cuts across the civil-service incentive bonus system, which is meant to reward output and sound work. Paying more for qualifications alone, it added, would treat public staff unevenly.

It said the bill leaves basic points unclear, such as whether any bonuses would cover all fields of study or only religious studies. That lack of clarity, the government noted, would sit poorly with the bonus rules now in place and with fair chances for all.

The government said any arrangement for imams and muezzins should be set by the executive, which can tweak rules as needs change, without new laws each time. That, it said, keeps the system flexible and helps manage staff.

It warned that moving this group into a new cadre could hit their pensions and contracts, including a stop to current pension payments, in breach of the law.

Job ladder

It also said standard shift patterns and the general job ladder do not fit work tied to prayer times and mosque duties, and would add paperwork that harms performance.

Common appraisal and disciplinary schemes, it argued, do not sit well with their spiritual and social roles.

The government called for support to be given through current executive routes so aims are met without cutting flexibility or creating overlap, and asked MPs to look again at the bill in light of its note.