Ideal working environment top priority, says Al Doseri

Manama : Bahrain is committed to creating an ideal working environment for workers and ensuring sustainability for future generations by continuing the process of comprehensive development and Labour market reforms, stressed Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdullah bin Faisal bin Jabur Al Doseri yesterday. 

The Kingdom “assures the rights to free choice of employment, equitable and equal remuneration, enjoyment of leave and allowances and safe working conditions”, said Al Doseri wishing all the workers in the Kingdom of Bahrain more success and prosperity on the occasion of International Workers’ Day, which falls on May 1 of each year. 

Kingdom, Al Doseri said, provides an integrated system to protect the rights of the worker and the employer alike citing Kingdom’s accession to the International Covenant regarding civil, political, economic and cultural rights and ILO fundamental Conventions and Bahrain’s advanced legislation to protect workers’ rights, including Labour Law 36 of 2012. 

“The Constitution and the Bahraini law prohibit all forms of discrimination in working environment,” Al Doseri said citing Article 16 (b) which prohibits “discrimination in wages on the basis of race, origin, language, religion or creed”.

He further stressed that efforts to ensure workers’ right were not limited to legislation but also include policies and programmes aimed at improving the standards of living, such as the project to improve national private sector workers’ wages.

“Recognising the importance of civil society associations and organisations, Bahrain has provided broad space for trade unions to act by promulgating Decree- Law 33 of 2002 on the Trade Unions Law and its amendments which paved the way for trade union pluralism,” the Minister stressed. 

The Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs also stressed the importance of Bahraini workers in building the country’s economy and the policies including ‘flexible work permit’.    

He affirmed that the Kingdom is continuing the process of comprehensive development and awakening under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.