Company refutes allegations of forcing employees to take leave

TDT | Manama

Claims that Bahraini employees were forced to take their annual leaves were refuted by a renowned national company. This came following rumours that were widely circulated online and after an MP alleged that Bahrain Airport Services (BAS) “employees were obligated to take their leaves and sit at home”. The rumours hinted that the move came within the aftermath of the losses caused by the ongoing crisis of the coronavirus (Covid19) pandemic and its negative economic impact.

In its response, BAS strongly denied the allegations, without naming the MP, and stated that “the company’s management asserts that the above is not true”. BAS clarified in a press statement issued: “BAS, whose commercial activity extends for about 42 years, has, for decades, taken an interest in the human factor, especially national cadres. During the current coronavirus crisis, the company provided all necessary precautions to its employees.” In the statement, BAS affirmed that it has requested its employees to take their pending leaves but did not force them to take their annual leave. “In accordance with the Labour Law and the company’s internal regulations, employees were asked to settle their accumulated leave balance from previous years without prejudice to their future leaves,” BAS mentioned in its statement, while at the same time calling upon the public to “seek facts from official sources”.

This came one day after MP Mohammed Buhammood made the claims in the weekly meeting of the Council of Representatives on Tuesday. His statements came during the discussion of an urgent draft-law to withdraw BD215million from the unemployment fund to pay for the salaries of Bahrainis in the private sector for three months (from April to June). Several MPs, including MP Buhammood, questioned some private establishments’ worthiness of the package, claiming that they are taking arbitrary measures against their Bahraini employees amidst the current extraordinary circumstances. MP Buhammood’s statements came during the discussion and in the presence of Labour and Social Development Minister Jameel bin Ali Humaidan, along with Finance and National Economy Minister Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa. “I recently received a call informing me that the company (BAS), through its managers and executives, requested some of the employees to sign blank papers that until now no one knows what they are for. Some employees signed some of these papers,” the lawmaker said before adding that “some of these companies have begun as if it is gnawing the bodies of citizens in such a tough situation”