Greedy employers face imprisonment
By SOMAN BABY
Published: 2nd August 2007
EMPLOYERS, who take money or other benefits from foreign workers for providing them jobs in Bahrain, face imprisonment under a new law, it was revealed yesterday. The Amnesty Guide issued by the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) says such employers face imprisonment for three months to a year and/or a fine of BD1,000 to BD2,000, for each worker involved.
Article 23C of the LMRA law says it is a crime “to obtain money, benefit or privilege from any foreign workers in lieu of issue of work permit, employment of such workers or keeping the worker in the job”.
Greedy employers face imprisonment
By SOMAN BABY
Published: 2nd August 2007
EMPLOYERS, who take money or other benefits from foreign workers for providing them jobs in Bahrain, face imprisonment under a new law, it was revealed yesterday. The Amnesty Guide issued by the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) says such employers face imprisonment for three months to a year and/or a fine of BD1,000 to BD2,000, for each worker involved.
Article 23C of the LMRA law says it is a crime “to obtain money, benefit or privilege from any foreign workers in lieu of issue of work permit, employment of such workers or keeping the worker in the job”.
In case of conviction, the court may order the suspension of the activities of the convicted or the closure of the business place for a period not more than one year, it says.
If the violation is repeated, the court may order the cancellation of the name of convicted from the commercial register.
The same penalties apply to companies, which employ foreign workers without a valid work permit issued by the LMRA and those employing foreign workers in violation of the terms and conditions of the work permit, said LMRA chief executive Ali Radhi.
“The penalties will come into force on January 1, at the end of the five-month general amnesty for illegal employers and workers,” he told the GDN.
“The LMRA has decided to initiate the services of its enforcement directorate only after the amnesty period to give both the employers and the foreign workers an opportunity to correct their status.
“The whole exercise is aimed at cleaning up the labour market and to ensure that all foreign workers reside and work legally in Bahrain.”
While the employers face imprisonment and heavy fines for defying the law, the foreign worker who is found working without a valid work permit faces a fine not exceeding BD100 and deportation out of Bahrain forever or for at least three years, said Mr Radhi.
“This gives the message that the Bahraini employers have a greater responsibility to keep our labour market clean,” he added.
Manpower agencies or employment offices, which perform business activities without obtaining a valid license from LMRA also face the same penalties applied to illegal employers, said Mr Radhi.
Those who obstruct LMRA employees during their course of work or refuse to provide the correct documents necessary for the execution of their duties will be fined between BD500 and BD2,000, he added.
The amnesty period, said Mr Radhi, would correct the following situations:
* Employing foreign workers without work permits.
* Fetching foreign workers and releasing them in the country while the establishment does not exist.
* Runaway foreign workers.
* Change of the profession of the foreign worker.
The LMRA website – www.lmra.bh – gives directives to people on the procedures to be followed to avail of the amnesty benefits.
soman@gdn.com.bh
© Gulf Daily News