Over 50,000 domestic workers ‘officially registered’ in Bahrain

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain has 50,098 officially registered domestic workers, of which 25,467 have new work permits and 24,631 possess renewed contracts. This comes as the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) reveals the latest statistics on the number of domestic workers being employed in Bahrain. It is learnt that there are nine agencies functioning in Bahrain supplying domestic workers.

The LMRA has been in its best efforts to find solutions to the issues in hiring and employing domestic workers. On the one hand, rules and regulations have been intensified to prevent the rights of domestic workers being violated by the employers while, on the other hand, the Ministry of Interior received over 4,500 cases of runaway domestic workers.

The Daily Tribune earlier reported that many citizens were upset over the increase in housemaid recruitment costs, which according to them has now gone up to BD3,000 including the charges to agents. They say they are not against the tripartite agreement or any legal mechanisms that ensure the safety and financial security of housemaids, but want the authorities to arrest the increasing costs in the recruitment process.

A citizen said the pandemic has altogether worsened the housemaid recruitment scenario. “We are not against the legal mechanisms that ensure the safety of housemaids, but such mechanisms should not be exploited, making the lives of citizens miserable.

” With regard to the recruitment of housemaids and domestic workers, the LMRA adopted the Tripartite Domestic Contract, which regulates the relationship between the Employment Office, the employer (the household) and the domestic worker, and all recruitment offices are obliged to apply it.

The cost involved in hiring a maid from an agency will include the agent’s fee, the cost of bringing the maid to Bahrain and the cost of a work permit. The citizens allege many agents are exploiting the situation, where availability of domestic workers and housemaids in the recruitment market remain on the decline.

“Although the legal charges to recruit a housemaid come close to BD300, the real expenses incurred are ten times.” As per the statistics released by the Labour and Social Development Ministry, there are close to 90,000 registered domestic workers in Bahrain.

The domestic workers come to Bahrain from many countries including Philippines, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Eritrea, Ghana and The Seychelles. The newspaper also published a report quoting human rights activists, who urged the employers of domestic workers to be compassionate to give End of Service Benefits and leave pay in accordance with LMRA Law on Tripartite Domestic Workers.

Last year, the LMRA, in cooperation with the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) and the Bahrain Insurance Association (BIA), announced the Optional Insurance System for Domestic Workers to protect employers and domestic expatriate workers following any incident that covers for insurance.

The Optional Insurance System for Domestic Workers protects employers and domestic expatriate employees in the event of leaving work in violation of the conditions of the work permit, unfair dismissal, as well as compensation in cases of injury, disability, or death.

In the event of death, insured employees’ legal heirs will receive compensation, and repatriation costs would be covered. LMRA CEO Jamal Abdulaziz Al Alawi indicated that the LMRA has coordinated with the CBB, the BIA, and insurance companies to develop an integrated plan that guarantees the rights of all parties.

He noted that the employer has the option to insure expatriate employees upon their recruitment. Three insurance packages have been made available for employers to choose from. Prices range between BD40 and BD120 for 12 months and between BD60 and BD180 for 24 months.