24 June 2007
Foreign workers without legitimate papers and those employing them were urged to regularise their status starting August.
Foreigners as well as employers who breached Law No. 19 for 2006 and other related laws were told by the Ministry of LabourMinistry of Labour yesterday to “readjust their conditions”. They can contact the General Directorate for Nationality, Passports and Residence.
The Minister of Labour, Dr Majeed bin Mohsen Al Alawi, who is also the Chairman of the Labour Market Regulatory Authority, said the ministry, in coordination with the Ministry of Interior and authorities concerned, will give a grace period for employers and workers who breached rules on work permits, visas and residency.
24 June 2007
Foreign workers without legitimate papers and those employing them were urged to regularise their status starting August.
Foreigners as well as employers who breached Law No. 19 for 2006 and other related laws were told by the Ministry of LabourMinistry of Labour yesterday to “readjust their conditions”. They can contact the General Directorate for Nationality, Passports and Residence.
The Minister of Labour, Dr Majeed bin Mohsen Al Alawi, who is also the Chairman of the Labour Market Regulatory Authority, said the ministry, in coordination with the Ministry of Interior and authorities concerned, will give a grace period for employers and workers who breached rules on work permits, visas and residency.
The measure is part of a two-year government plan to clean up the labour market.
The violations under Law No. 19 ranged from the unlicensed use of expatriate labour, recruitment and “dumping” of expatriates in the labour market, transferring of expatriate labour without sponsors’ prior permission, and absconding from work.
Dr Al Alawi said a committee was formed to supervise and follow-up on the implementation of the new labour market regulations.
The committee will launch an awareness campaign through various means such as organising workshops, press conferences , forums and publish booklets in different languages to inform the citizens and expatiates on the authority’s regulations.
The strategy will be published on the authority’s website and meetings will be held with the Bahrain Chamber for Commerce and IndustryBahrain Chamber for Commerce and Industry, Bahrain Workers General Union, foreign embassies, clubs and societies, he added.
This follows after Al Alawi exclusively told the Bahrain Tribune during an interview that general amnesty for illegals would start from August and last for six months.
He also said that after the deadline, violators will be strictly punished. Asian embassies like those of Pakistan, India and the Philippines had started preparing for the amnesty.
© Bahrain Tribune 2007
Article originally published by Bahrain Tribune 24-Jun-07