Bahrain-US talks to preserve workers’ rights

TDT | Manama                                        

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

A meeting was held between Bahrain and the US to discuss ways to strengthen relations and exchange expertise in the areas related to improving the working conditions and environment and preserving the rights of all work parties.

The Chief Executive of the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA), Nouf Abdulrahman Jamsheer, received a delegation from the US Department of Labour and US Trade Representatives during their visit to the Kingdom.

The delegation included Matthew Levin, Director of Office Trade and Labor Affairs, Rob Wayss, Senior International Labour Advisor for Trade Policy from the US Department of Labor, Claudia Calderon, Director of Labour Affairs and Jason Buntin, Director for Europe and Middle East Affairs from the US Trade Representative.

The meeting was held in the presence of Shawn C. Bush, the Political Official at the US Embassy in the Kingdom. The LMRA Chief Executive briefed the delegation about the key initiatives and measures taken by the kingdom to advance the labour market, including the new Labour Registration Programme that was launched recently in partnership with the private sector to link work permits to vocational standards and qualifications, as well as the Optional Insurance System for Domestic Workers and the Wage Protection System aiming to preserve the financial rights of employees and reduce labour dispute cases.

Jamsheer affirmed the government’s ongoing commitment to assessing all aspects of work and the related policies in order to provide a wide range of protection services. This is achieved through the continuous development of legal, procedural, and legislative tools to combat all forms of Trafficking in Persons, considering the ever-changing nature of this crime, as well as protecting the rights of worker and employer alike to maintain a balanced work environment that is characterised by flexibility, justice, continuity, and safeguards the rights of all parties without discrimination.