Envoy vows justice for workers
Published: 31 March 2007
COMPANIES and individuals who violate Bahrain’s labour laws will be brought to justice, Indian Ambassador Balkrishna Shetty pledged yesterday. “Indian lives are not cheap and we will ensure the safety of our workers,” he said at an open house at the Indian Embassy, Adliya.
“We will advise workers not to join companies that do not follow Bahrain’s safety laws.
“Bahraini authorities are very clear that these laws should be followed.
“We are confident we will catch wrong-doers and they will get what they deserve.”
Mr Shetty said companies were now aware that the embassy and Bahraini authorities would not stand for labour law violations.
Envoy vows justice for workers
Published: 31 March 2007
COMPANIES and individuals who violate Bahrain’s labour laws will be brought to justice, Indian Ambassador Balkrishna Shetty pledged yesterday. “Indian lives are not cheap and we will ensure the safety of our workers,” he said at an open house at the Indian Embassy, Adliya.
“We will advise workers not to join companies that do not follow Bahrain’s safety laws.
“Bahraini authorities are very clear that these laws should be followed.
“We are confident we will catch wrong-doers and they will get what they deserve.”
Mr Shetty said companies were now aware that the embassy and Bahraini authorities would not stand for labour law violations.
He said as a result many companies that had been blacklisted from recruiting Indian workers were now observing Bahrain’s laws with regard to housing, payment and other factors.
Indian citizens, he said, would soon benefit from an immigration act which was currently before the Indian parliament and expected to be passed by June.
He said its main aim was to streamline the whole recruitment process and the establishment of an electronic system to record employment details of each worker was also being studied.
Mr Shetty said various consular and labour issues had been brought up by individuals and Indian associations at the open day.
Cases included sponsors not paying their workers and requesting money in return for passports, he said.
The ambassador praised the co-operation of the Bahraini authorities in helping the embassy solve labour issues of Indian citizens.
“I’m glad my officials are handling things very well. They have received a lot of co-operation from Bahraini authorities.”
The next open house will be held on April 27.
The event is an opportunity for the Indian community to bring non-routine consular and labour issues to the notice of embassy staff and senior officials.
© Gulf Daily News