Bahrain’s workforce is supported by an estimated 600,000 migrant workers (between 55% and 75% of the country’s total workforce). These foreign labourers are especially found in unskilled and low-skilled employment in domestic work, construction, as well as in the wholesale and retail industries. Recent figures indicate more than 100,000 migrant domestic workers in Bahrain. In the context of implementing protections for migrant workers, Bahrain is commonly viewed as being progressive, especially in comparison to other GCC countries. Numerous such measures have been developed in recent years. Between 2010 and 2013, Bahrain was the first GCC country to agree to the International Labour Organisation’s Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) with regards to promoting worker rights, income security, and employability of women. In 2016, discussions for a new DWCP programme in the context of international labour standards and protection of migrant workers – among other priorities – were initiated. Other national Bahraini legislations, for example, focus on the inclusion of migrant workers (expect domestic workers, who are only partially included) in labour laws; criminal sanctions protecting against abuses and unpaid wages; the regulation of recruitment agencies; extending sick days and annual leave; as well as compensation for unfair dismissal. In this context, the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) regulates the issuing of work visas, the licensing of recruitment agencies, as well as employment transfers. A standard contract for domestic workers has been required as of October 2017 in order to clarify working conditions, including wages, days off, and responsibilities.
Despite these efforts, Bahrain’s migrant workers still face numerous vulnerabilities in the context of recruitment and employment. Before leaving their origin country, migrant workers are often charged excessive fees (generally equivalent to ten to twenty months of salary) by Bahraini recruiting agencies. This is especially common for construction workers, though less common for domestic workers who often arrive in Bahrain with the help of formal recruiters. The debt incurred as a result of high fees from recruitment agencies (in addition to airfare, for example) often means that workers are more reluctant to leave an unsafe and abusive working environment.
In addition, the context of Bahrain’s kafala system (where migrant workers are under close supervision of their employers and limited in their abilities to change employers or leave the country) leads to workers also facing a number of challenges with regards to their employment situation. These include low wages and lack of payment, excessive working hours, limited breaks and time off, involuntary containment, passport confiscation, as well as physical, verbal, and sexual abuse (the latter especially with regards to domestic work). Construction workers, moreover, are often housed in cramped accommodations with limited basic amenities, such as running water or sanitation facilities. Though there are few efforts by employers and the Bahraini government to enforce such measures, some origin country governments (e.g. India, Philippines) require a minimum monthly salary for their workers in Bahrain. Moreover, migrant domestic workers earn significantly less money than migrant workers in other industries. Discrimination by the Bahraini population against migrant workers is also reported.
Find out more about the degree of respect for worker’s rights in this country based on ITUC Global Rights Index here.