A draft law submitted to the Chamber of Deputies calls for employers to provide health insurance coverage for foreign workers in public and private hospitals. The bill is aimed at providing good health services to non-Bahrainis except expatriates married to Bahrainis, children of Bahraini mothers married to foreigners and domestic workers. Under the proposed bill, the insurance scheme would pay for the cost of medical checkups, laboratory tests, surgery and medical and dental fees. A general authority for health insurance would be set up to determine the guidelines for choosing public or private hospitals for health services. The general authority would also be tasked with assessing which cases should be treated for free at public hospitals.
The Labor Ministry gave companies employing more than 10 workers less than two weeks to comply with a new regulation requiring them to pay their employees’ salaries into bank accounts. The new regulation, which would take effect on 1 July, is intended to prevent companies facing financial problems from delaying payment of their workers’ wages. According to labor undersecretary Shaikh Abdulrahman bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, under the bankruptcy law, the rights of employees should come first before any other obligations the bankrupt company may have.
The Manama Municipal Council has approved a proposal to relocate all labor camps currently found in residential areas to alternative locations where other labor camps have already been set up. The move is intended to end clashes between the workers and families living nearby and also to provide better living accommodations for the expatriate workers. The council’s technical affairs committee chairperson Sadiq Rahma reported that most of the workers’ quarters consist of dilapidated old houses that pose health and safety risks to their residents.
Labor Minister Dr. Majeed Al Alawi disclosed that the government is currently considering a law seeking to ban work between one and four o’clock in the afternoon to protect laborers from the scorching summer heat. According to the law drafted by the ministry, construction workers would get a three-hour respite daily when the country’s temperature is at its peak.
The Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society and the Respect group have issued a statement seeking the implementation of a family law to protect the basic rights of women and children against abuse, torture and violence. The statement also called for the protection of domestic workers under the Bahraini Labor Law against any “tortuous treatment." The statement was sent to parliament, the Shura Council, the United Nations and other human rights organizations to mark the UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.
Since 1 May, a new regulation issued by the Philippine government compels employers of Filipina domestic workers to provide their workers with personal accident insurance coverage. The Philippine Embassy refers employers who wish to hire Filipina domestic workers to Kuwait Insurance so they can avail of the Domestic Help Insurance Policy. The insurance costs a minimum of BD25 and is good for two years.
In related news, Ameliza Aquino, a 27-year old Filipina beautician, has been confined at the Salmaniya Medical Complex since 4 June after she was hit by a car. Her sponsor had shouldered the bill for the first three weeks of her confinement but she hesitates to ask more from him. Meanwhile, she is unsure if she will ever receive compensation as an accident victim since the processing of insurance claims usually takes a long time.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Embassy’s consular attaché, Ramon Nerida, has advised Filipinos planning to leave Bahrain to return home or to work in another country to obtain a standard police clearance certificate from the Criminal Investigation Directorate. This would facilitate the processing of new contracts and other legal documents outside Bahrain.
The Pakistani Club successfully negotiated with Delmon Readymix Company to remove blocks in the repatriation of Pakistani driver, Mohammed Sarfaraz Abdul-rahman Khan, 34, who died of a heart attack on 23 June. The repatriation of his remains was delayed because of some conditions imposed by the company.
A 33-year old Indian domestic worker was sentenced to a jail term of one month for filing a false complaint with the police and another two weeks for unauthorized stay in Bahrain and for not working for her sponsor. She would also be deported upon completion of her sentence. The domestic worker earlier told the police that she had been kidnapped by unknown men who took her to a flat in Manama and forced her into prostitution.
The private Shifa Al Jazeera Medical Group is planning to set aside BD5,000 monthly to create a help fund to finance a community project to help the poor in Bahrain, particularly Indian workers in distress. The project, which would be officially launched on 1 September, would be implemented in coordination with the Asianet Gulf Round-up Program that focuses on the plight of Keralites in the region. The fund would be used primarily to help poor and ailing workers who need return tickets to go home.
Sources: Tariq Khonji, “Wages deadline for companies," Gulf Daily News, 18 June 2006; “Labourers to be spared summer heat," Gulf Daily News, 18 June 2006; Habib Toumi, “Bahrain likely to ban working in midday heat," Gulf News, 19 June 2006; Rasha Al Qahtani, “Police hunt maid on run," Gulf Daily News, 20 June 2006; Eunice del Rosario, “New clearance rules for Filipino residents," Gulf Daily News, 20 June 2006; Mohammed Al A’Ali, “Workers’ camps to be relocated," Gulf Daily News, 22 June 2006; Eunice del Rosario, “Cash plea for housemaid," Gulf Daily News, 22 June 2006; “‘Who will pay my bills?," Bahrain Tribune, 22 June 2006; Eunice del Rosario, “Filipina maids backed," Gulf Daily News, 23 June 2006; Kanwal Tariq Hameed, “Row blocks repatriation," Gulf Daily News, 26 June 2006; “Enter illegally, then go straight to the prison," Bahrain Tribune, 26 June 2006; Eunice del Rosario, “Maid’s fate in balance," Gulf Daily News, 27 June 2006; “Respect our rights!," Gulf Daily News, 27 June 2006; Soman Baby, “Fund support for the needy," Gulf Daily News, 29 June 2006; Mohammed Aslam, “‘Kidnap’ lie maid is jailed," Gulf Daily News, 30 June 2006; Suad Hamada, “Health cover urged for expats," Bahrain Tribune, 30 June 2006