Should not Bahrain's summer outdoor work ban apply to food delivery executives?

TDT | Manama                                                  

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Staff Reporter

Amidst Bahrain reeling under scorching heat and outdoor work ban in place, over 1,000 food delivery workers are out in the sun to ensure that orders are delivered without any delay, in fact braving the extreme conditions.

The highest temperature recorded during the past two weeks was 46.6 degrees Celsius which occurred on June 21 at Bahrain International Airport (BIA) and this goes on record as the highest temperature for June since 1946 at BIA, according to the Meteorological Directorate of the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications.

The directorate says there were 16 days last month when the temperature went northwards of 40 degrees Celsius. The present month, coming August and September are expected to be the hottest months on record.

Speaking to The Daily Tribune, a food delivery wo r ke r, o n a condition of anonymity, revealed that the job is really tough and risky. “Many of my friends who do the same task have fallen sick after being in the hot sun. Some of them have developed regular headaches, uneasiness and other symptoms. We all suffer from health issues related to dehydration.” However, he said, there are no other options on cards.

“We take this risk to support our families back home. What makes this job attractive, in the midst of all risks, are the tips we receive from the customers, which is definitely a substantial amount to us other than the meagre salaries.”

In their nine hours shift during the day, food delivery executives are supposed to make something between 15 to 30 deliveries as per the frequency of orders placed. “Speedily shuttling from one location to the other, we have to deliver orders without any break. Hardly, we get time to even drink water,” the Bangladeshi national told The Daily Tribune.

He said the coming Eid Al Adha season will be really tough for the food delivery executives with “unending rides to fulfil 50-plus deliveries during the national holidays”. Another food delivery worker, who also doesn’t want to be named, said it would be a great boon if the summer outdoor work ban is made applicable to them as well by the authorities.

“It will be a great support. We can deliver the lunch orders before 11:30 am and resume work again after 3 pm, thus escaping the scorching sun,” the Indian national said. Workban began on July 1st The Kingdom’s Labour Ministry announced an outdoor work ban, beginning July 1 until the end of coming August, restricting labourers and workers from doing work during the afternoon.

But this rule mainly applies to construction and related segment workers. The ban will be implemented on any work being carried out under direct sunlight and in open places from noon until 4 pm. With this rule, the ministry aims to protect workers and ensure their safety from heat stress, sunstroke and various summer diseases, apart from reducing occupational accidents during the hottest months of the year.

The strict implementation of the rule in the previous years has contributed to reducing the risks of work injuries. Food delivery workers are also prone to accidents as there are no special lanes for two-wheeler riders in the Kingdom. A little over a month before, a horrific accident on King Faisal Street took the life of a 40-year-old expatriate food delivery worker when a pick-up car rammed into the bike he was riding.