By SOMAN BABY
A SOCIETY for the protection of workers yesterday urged the government to immediately ban companies from transporting workers in open trucks.
The Migrant Workers’ Protection Society (MWPS) also appealed to the business community to support the move, in the interest of the workers’ safety.
Society president Mona Almoayyed praised the media for highlighting the suffering of this deprived group of people.
“It is sad that in an affluent society like Bahrain with so much wealth going around in millions for projects, nothing is done to take care of the welfare of those people who build our projects with their bare hands,” she told the GDN.
By SOMAN BABY
A SOCIETY for the protection of workers yesterday urged the government to immediately ban companies from transporting workers in open trucks.
The Migrant Workers’ Protection Society (MWPS) also appealed to the business community to support the move, in the interest of the workers’ safety.
Society president Mona Almoayyed praised the media for highlighting the suffering of this deprived group of people.
“It is sad that in an affluent society like Bahrain with so much wealth going around in millions for projects, nothing is done to take care of the welfare of those people who build our projects with their bare hands,” she told the GDN.
Ms Almoayyed was commenting following the GDN article on Tuesday highlighting the dangers of transporting workers in open trucks and the delay in banning the practice because of objections from the business community.
She endorsed the views of Labour Ministry labour relations director Shaikh Ali bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa that trucks should be used only to transport materials and not human beings.
“I was shocked and surprised to read the comments of Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) contractors’ committee chairman Samir Nass that he is worried about the cost of BD50 million to the companies,” said Ms Almoayyed, who is the managing director of Y K Almoayyed & Sons.
“This amount will be depreciated over five years, which means BD10m a year, a small percentage compared to the amount of projects in Bahrain, which is in the billions.
“The difference for Mr Nass will be a few thousands in depreciation in his profit and loss account. This is a cheap cost to protect his labourers.”
Ms Almoayyed also objected to Mr Nass’ comments that transporting workers in airconditioned buses would adversely affect their health.
“According to him, the workers might catch cold when they step out into hot and humid weather conditions after travelling in airconditioned buses for half an hour or so,” she noted.
“If this is an argument, then all of us should travel in summer in cars with no airconditioning.
“We are asking companies to transport their workers in safe buses and they don’t have to be airconditioned if he is worried about the workers catching cold.”
New rules governing workers’ transportation have already been drawn up by the Labour Ministry and the Interior Ministry’s General Directorate of Traffic.
“We are concerned about the safety of workers. They should be transported in vehicles which have proper seats equipped with seat-belts,” said Shaikh Ali.
“The practice of transporting workers in trucks and pick-ups is illegal.
“Shaikh Ali said Labour Minister Dr Majeed Al Alawi was expected to meet Interior Minister Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa to discuss the issue very soon. “The ministers will later hold talks with BCCI officials, headed by chairman Dr Esam Fakhro,” he added. “New rules governing workers’ transport are expected to come into force by January next year.”