The Hindu : Kerala News : Bahrain amnesty to begin on September 1 Gulf Round-up

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Friday, Jul 27, 2007
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Bahrain amnesty to begin on September 1 Gulf Round-up

The Indian Ambassador lauds Bahrain Government’s decision to ban outdoor work from noon to 4 p.m. in July and August.

Dubai: The six-month amnesty announced by Bahrain for illegal foreign workers will begin on September 1.

Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) board chairman Majeed Al Alawi conveyed the new date to Indian Ambassador Balkrishna Shetty at a meeting on Wednesday.

Cooperation sought

Al Alawi sought the cooperation of the Indian Embassy in increasing the Indian community’s awareness of the move.

The amnesty, which would allow illegal workers to legalise their stay or leave the country without paying fines, was in line with the country’s labour market reforms, the Gulf Daily News reported.

Mr. Shetty said the embassy would make use of all communication facilities at its disposal to make the community aware of the amnesty procedures.

“We shall ask New Delhi to provide us extra staff and shall ask Indian organisations to encourage maximum people to benefit from the move,” he was quoted as saying by the paper.

Mr. Shetty praised the Bahrain Government’s decision to ban outdoor work from noon to 4 p.m. in July and August. “This reflects its commitment to the health and welfare of expatriate workers,” he said.

Minimum wage

In response to an issue raised by the Ambassador on India’s plan to propose a minimum wage for workers in Bahrain, Al Alawi said the kingdom was implementing relevant legislation and laws and was committed to international treaties. “However, the issue of minimum wage has to be agreed upon by the Bahraini employer and expatriate workers,” Mr. Al Alawi said. — PTI

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