MPs seek age-cap on expats working in government institutions

Manama : A group of MPs yesterday announced that they have submitted a proposal to ban expats over the age of 60 from working in government institutions.

The proposal comes less than a year after the council voted against a similar bill to do the same for foreign employees in the public sector aged above 50.

Submitted by MP Dr. Jameela Al Sammak and four fellow MPs, the proposal amends Article 11 of Law Decree 48 of 2014 promulgating the Civil Service Law by prohibiting expats above 60 from working in ministries, official authorities and public establishments.

The MPs said that the move would create more job opportunities for Bahraini citizens by terminating the employment contracts of foreigners who cross the age of 60 in these establishments by the force of the law.

“This category of workers isn’t included in the retirement system and enjoy the privilege of renewing their work contracts for unlimited periods, even after reaching the age of 60. This requires a legislative amendment to regulate the termination of their employment contracts by the force of the law. The amendment would prevent them from remaining in the job and allow citizens to be recruited in these positions,” Dr. Al Sammak explained.

She also said, “It has been confirmed that foreigners have remained in these positions for long periods of time, without replacing them with Bahraini citizens. This is against the basics of the constitution and harms citizens who aspire to serve their homeland.”

Justifying the proposal, the lawmaker quoted Paragraph A of Article 16 in the kingdom’s constriction, which states, “Public jobs are a national service entrusted to their incumbents, and State employees shall have the public interest in mind when performing their jobs. Foreigners shall not be entrusted with public posts except in those cases specified by law.”

However, Dr. Al Sammak said that “foreigners should be appointed to public service in case of the absence of qualified Bahraini cadres to fill these positions, for a limited period”.

A similar proposal to ban expats above the age of 50 from working in the public sector was debated for over a year in the parliament.

Official authorities, including the Labour Market Regulatory Authority and Bahrain Chamber for Commerce and Industry in addition to a couple of local labour unions rejected the proposal back then, stating that “it contradicts with the International Labour Convention”. The Council of Representatives eventually rejected the proposal.