TDT | Manama
Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com
Changing jobs is nothing new, but lawmakers are warning that those who change jobs without proper notice could lose their “severance package.” Not everyone is affected.
Low-wage workers, including domestic helpers, will also be subject to scrutiny here, according to a proposal passed by parliament yesterday, overriding objections from Bahrain’s Ministry of Labour.
Lawmakers say the new law will come into effect if domestic workers violate the terms of their work permits and run away from their workplaces.
While the measure will reduce worker flight, as lawmakers said, the Ministry of Labour is concerned that it could lead to discrimination among workers and violate Bahrain’s constitution and laws.
The ministry argues that the proposed amendments, which would strip domestic workers, including housekeepers, of their severance pay and impose fines if they quit without notifying their employers, lack any legitimate basis.
The Ministry of Labor said the proposal would create a way for employers to avoid paying severance pay to domestic workers.
Most importantly, the ministry told lawmakers, the proposal makes no mention of whether domestic workers are employed for long or short periods.
The ministry also reminded lawmakers that imposing fines on workers and employers violates the labor law, especially in the private sector, where the law does not regulate work permits but only the relationship between employers and workers.
However, lawmakers overruled all these objections and approved the proposal submitted to Parliament by the House of Deputies’ Services Committee.
Their argument was that it would reduce the number of runaway workers and that tough penalties would deter maids from violating their work permits.
Moreover, such a law would help protect the rights of employers and pave the way for encouraging the hiring of domestic workers, the lawmakers stressed.
Lawmakers also argue that the law will encourage the recruitment of domestic workers and ultimately boost the market and economy as more people invest in such businesses to hire workers.
Lawmakers stress that the law will increase domestic worker commitment, improve employer satisfaction, and reduce the incidence of unfair labor practices and crimes committed by domestic workers.
