By EUNICE del ROSARIO
Published: 18 September 2006
MORE manpower agencies have reportedly been blacklisted by the Philippines Embassy, sparking complaints from recruiters who claim the practice is illegal.
Over 50 Bahrain recruitment firms and individual employers are now understood to have been placed on the embassy’s blacklist, which means the embassy will not process contracts for Filipino workers on their behalf.
Earlier this month the Indian Embassy said it had blacklisted a total of 49 Bahraini firms for allegedly cheating their workers.
However, Bahrain Recruiters Society (BRS) president Ali Alshoala claimed the blacklisting of manpower agencies, companies and individual employers went against Bahrain’s Labour Law.
By EUNICE del ROSARIO
Published: 18 September 2006
MORE manpower agencies have reportedly been blacklisted by the Philippines Embassy, sparking complaints from recruiters who claim the practice is illegal.
Over 50 Bahrain recruitment firms and individual employers are now understood to have been placed on the embassy’s blacklist, which means the embassy will not process contracts for Filipino workers on their behalf.
Earlier this month the Indian Embassy said it had blacklisted a total of 49 Bahraini firms for allegedly cheating their workers.
However, Bahrain Recruiters Society (BRS) president Ali Alshoala claimed the blacklisting of manpower agencies, companies and individual employers went against Bahrain’s Labour Law.
He is now calling on foreign embassies to scrap all existing blacklists – claiming they have “no legal standing” and accusing embassies of deliberately ignoring the rights of manpower agencies to bring foreign workers to Bahrain.
“For recruiting agencies to function in Bahrain, they must have licences. That is the law,” said Mr Alshoala.
“To become members of the BRS, an agency must have a valid licence.
“If the licence is expired and not renewed, the agency cannot be a member of the BRS.
“You cannot order these agencies to stop recruiting workers because they are legally allowed to do their job.
“They have to continue working despite these so-called blacklists.”
Mr Alshoala is urging embassies to inform the BRS about current blacklists.
“We need to know why these ban lists exist in the first place,” he said.
“We need to know the specific reasons why these agencies, companies and individual employers are being banned from hiring foreign workers.
“The problem with these embassies is that they decide to ban agencies and then they go straight to the media.
“They do not come to us first, but I have told them time and again that the BRS is here ready to co-operate with them.”
He said that the society, formed over 25 years ago, not only fights for the rights of recruitment agencies, but also the rights of workers and employers.
“Fairness is important,” he said.
“If the workers are being maltreated then it is the society’s job to fight for their rights.
“But if it is the employers that are being treated unfairly, then we have to back them up too.
“There are workers who, upon arrival in Bahrain, feel homesick or have problems back home.
“They then demand to be sent home.
“It is not that easy because how about the employer?
“Employers often have to pay a lot of money to hire foreign workers.
“Who will pay them back?
“This is a very common problem in Bahrain and when it happens we need to be fair.”
He said he hopes embassies will co-operate with the BRS and include it in tackling cases involving recruitment agencies.
“We have to take each case to the right channel,” he said.
“Go through to the Labour Court or to the police.
“There are rules to follow in Bahrain. They are there for a reason.”
The BRS has about 64 members, but at least 15 manpower agencies in Bahrain reportedly don’t have its membership.