Rights activists and civil societies call for humane treatment of maids, strictly follow LMRA rules

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Human rights activists and civil societies have called for better humane treatment of housemaids and domestic workers as Bahrain marked International Labourers’ Day yesterday.

They urged the employers of domestic workers to be compassionate to give End of Service Benefits and leave pay in accordance with LMRA Law on Tripartite Domestic Workers.

Speaking to The Daily Tribune, Lyn Le Altarejos, Director of Worker Rights Bahrain, said: “Domestic workers play a pivotal role in home economics, whose duties are varied in order to make employers’ family life easier.

They are responsible for undertaking the management of all the household activities with numerous duties that ranged from cleaning bedrooms to opening and closing shutters to dusting, polishing, and cleaning maintenance.

“It is a great blessing to a family with dedicated housemaids assisting with domestic chores such as cleaning, cooking, washing clothes, taking care of the kids and car cleaning. She said the responsibilities of domestic workers have never been an easy routine especially for families in fast growing economies.

“Managing and taking care of the home with the kids with employers’ perfect expectation definitely is not an easy job and work over time. Additionally, away from their family back home, emotionally added to their burden.”

“We call on the employer a mandatory action to give the end of service benefits without condition and leave pay for the domestic workers rights given by the law of the Kingdom.

“It is an unlawful act of someone not to pay against the service of a housemaid where the employer definitely benefited from the sweat and their hard work to maintain house cleanliness.” Faisal Fulad, Secretary General of Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society (BHRWS), told The Daily Tribune that the well-being of domestic workers and housemaids is a matter of great significance.

“Let us be compassionate when it comes to human beings, let us be fair enough to what service they offer for us to meet your daily requirements whether at work or in a business. “Also, enough protection to the domestic workers in a bid to ascertain their safety and well-being at all times considering the weight of the burden that takes off their hands.”

Last year, the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA), in cooperation with the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) and the Bahrain Insurance Association (BIA), announced the Optional Insurance System for Domestic Workers to protect employers and domestic expatriate workers following any incident that covers for insurance.

The Optional Insurance System for Domestic Workers protects employers and domestic expatriate employees in the event of leaving work in violation of the conditions of the work permit, unfair dismissal, as well as compensation in cases of injury, disability, or death.

In the event of death, insured employees’ legal heirs will receive compensation, and repatriation costs would be covered. LMRA CEO Jamal Abdulaziz Al Alawi indicated that the LMRA has coordinated with the CBB, the BIA, and insurance companies to develop an integrated plan that guarantees the rights of all parties.

He noted that the employer has the option to insure expatriate employees upon their recruitment. Three insurance packages have been made available for employers to choose from. Prices range between BD40 and BD120 for 12 months and between BD60 and BD180 for 24 months.