Labour Ministry urges private sector employers to meet salary payments under labour law

TDT | Manama

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The Ministry of Labour has urged employers in the private sector to pay wages on time and avoid repeated delays that breach the Labour Law for the Private Sector (Law No. 36 of 2012).

This comes as complaints about unpaid or delayed wages rose from 353 in 2022 to 537 in 2025, even as the Ministry reported a 99.3 per cent compliance rate under the Wage Protection System as of 31 December 2025, in a written reply to MP Hisham Al Awadhi.

The Ministry said an employer’s duty is only fulfilled once wages are paid in line with the law.

It pointed to the Wage Protection System, which requires employers to pay wages through approved banks or licensed payment service providers.

Payments

The system, the ministry said, lets it track payments and spot failures to pay on time, working with the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA).

Where wages are late, the ministry said workers are owed compensation under Article 40.

The rate starts at six per cent a year on the unpaid amount for delays of up to six months, then rises by one percentage point for each further month, up to a cap of 12 per cent a year until payment is made.

Complaints

Workers can file complaints online through the ministry website, via the national “Tawasul” platform, or by visiting in person.

The ministry said cases are logged and reviewed, with urgent complaints given priority in weekly inspection plans.

Inspectors then carry out site visits to check the claim.

If a breach is found, the employer may receive a written warning with a deadline to fix the position, or a violation report may be filed depending on the case.

The ministry said it also makes routine inspection visits to check that wages are paid regularly, alongside awareness visits carried out by the LMRA.

It said it contacts employers to ask why wages have not been paid on time and seeks agreed payment plans to clear arrears. Where talks fail, cases are referred to the courts.

On sanctions, the ministry cited Article 188 of the labour law, which sets a fine of between 200 and 500 dinars for an employer, or their representative, who fails without cause to pay wages on time.

Penalties

It said Article 194 means penalties are counted per worker and doubled for repeat offences.

The ministry said the current penalties are sufficient and do not need new rules, adding that it will keep following up wage-delay cases to protect workers’ rights and enforce payment on time.