Bahrain Court Orders Tourism Firms to Pay Worker BD 2,500 in Unpaid Dues

Manama: Bahrain’s Supreme Court has ordered two companies operating in the travel and tourism sector to pay nearly BD 2,500 to a foreign employee in unpaid salaries, annual leave compensation, and end-of-service benefits, following a labour dispute over delayed wage payments.

According to lawyer Zahur Al-Said, her client began working for one of the companies in 2023 as a sales representative with a monthly salary of BD 400 before later being transferred to another company operating in the same sector.

The employee resigned after repeated salary delays and alleged verbal harassment in the workplace, with the matter also reportedly being referred to police. She later filed a labour claim seeking unpaid wages, deducted salary amounts, annual leave compensation, end-of-service benefits, and a service certificate.

During the proceedings, the employers argued that the employee’s actual salary was BD 150, claiming the contract submitted by the worker was only formal. However, witness testimony from a former sales manager confirmed that the employee had been receiving BD 400 per month, with some payments reportedly made in cash.

The court ruled that employers remain legally responsible for wage payments unless they can provide proof of payment through officially approved banking channels under regulations set by the Central Bank of Bahrain.

The court ordered the first company to pay BD 1,116 in delayed wages, BD 401 in annual leave allowance, and BD 40 as end-of-service compensation.

The second company was ordered to pay BD 746 in delayed wages and BD 83 in annual leave compensation. Both companies were also instructed to issue the employee a service certificate and cover legal costs.