3,403 domestic workers run away from employers in Bahrain
TDT | Manama
The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com
A total of 3,403 domestic workers have escaped from their employers, according to the latest statistics.
This was confirmed by Labour and Social Development Minister Jameel Humaidan during the Council of Representatives’ regular weekly session.
The Minister was replying to a parliamentary question submitted by MP Bassem Al Maliki on the details of the current runaway cases involving domestic workers. His reply, however, did not indicate any increase or decrease in the number of runaway domestic workers, compared to previous years.
Humaidan’s reply will be discussed in tomorrow’s session.
According to the Minister, out of the total number of complaints received by the Ministry, 550 were settled amicably by rectifying the situations of the runaway workers, while 257 have been dropped by the employers.
Humaidan confirmed that 1,693 complaints were received against Ethiopians, 562 against Indonesians, 527 against Kenyans, 217 against Filipinos, 150 against Indians and 106 against Bangladeshi domestic workers.
The Ministry also received 62 complaints against Sri Lankans, 40 against Ugandans, 24 against Ghanaians, 17 against Pakistanis, four against Nepalese and one against a Cameroonian worker.
Out of the 550 cases that were settled by rectifying the workers’ situations, the Minister explained that 542 workers were repatriated, while the remaining eight were registered under other employers.
In his reply, the Minister explained the procedures in case a runway worker is arrested or located by the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) personnel.
Humaidan said employers are obliged to bear the deportation expenses of a runway worker, provided that there is no proof that the escapee had worked for a different employer at the time of the arrest.
He said the deportation expenses must be borne by any employer who hires the runway worker without a permit, in addition to paying a fine for the same reason.
Emphasising on this point, the Minister cited in his reply Paragraphs A and B in Article 27 of Act No. 19 of the year 2006, with regard to the regulations of the labour market.
Paragraph A of the Act mentions: “Upon the termination of the employment relationship, the expiry or the cancellation of the work permit, the last employer for whom the work permit was issued shall be obliged to incur the transport expenses of the foreign worker’s transport to the place specified in the contract of employment.
“If the contract of employment did not specify such a location, the employer shall bear the cost of the transport of the foreign worker to a location, to which he belongs by nationality.
Such employers shall also bear the expenses of preparing and transporting the corpse of a deceased foreign worker to the place of his origin or to the place of residence should his family so requested.”
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