Higher wages and job security for Bahrainis | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

Higher wages and job security for Bahrainis | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

TDT | Manama     
The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com
MP Maryam AlSayegh is stepping up to tackle some of Bahrain’s most pressing economic issues — low wages and high unemployment — with a bold new legislative proposal.
Aimed squarely at the private sector, this initiative seeks to hit several key targets. Foremost among these is the establishment of a minimum wage threshold for Bahraini workers.
Under this proposal, any Bahraini employee earning less than BD600 per month shall not be included in the mandatory Bahrainisation quotas imposed upon private enterprises.
This provision ensures that Bahraini citizens are afforded a standard of living commensurate with the escalating cost of living.
Secondly, the proposal aims to increase the overall percentage of Bahrainis employed in the private sector.
By incentivising the hiring of Bahrainis at higher salaries, companies will be encouraged to take on local talent, addressing the current reliance on a large number of foreign workers.
Thirdly, the proposal includes measures to prevent the misuse of wage subsidies provided by the Tamkeen Labour Fund.
Some companies have been accused of exploiting the system by laying off Bahraini workers after the subsidies expire.
Subsidies
The new law would require companies benefiting from Tamkeen support to repay the subsidies if they terminate Bahraini employees without just cause,