Bahrain set to scrap sponsorship system
By johninqatarliving •
Bahrain said yesterday it would scrap its existing sponsorship system for foreign workers in the hope of reducing its need for expatriate labour, a first in a region often criticised by rights groups over the issue........
God Bless Bahrain............
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&mon...
It will be interesting how this pans out. If you recall, only last year, Bahrain was vocal in getting rid of expatriate workers and limiting the maximum stay to six years for any given expat.
“The sponsorship system puts migrant workers at the mercy of their employers,” said Beverley Hamadeh of the local Migrant Workers Protection Society. “The majority of workers who come to us have suffered abuse, from non-payment of salary to sexual abuse.”
I wonder how this will address the above issue ?
As per the FT, "Like many of its neighbours, Bahrain relies heavily on expatriate workers, many of them manual labourers from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Only 25 per cent of the country’s workforce of 552,000 are nationals, according to the Labour Market Regulatory Authority, and the number of foreign workers is growing by 13 per cent a year.
The influx of workers is resented by poorer Bahrainis, who complain of a lack of jobs and affordable housing. Recent reforms aim to redress the balance. Tamkeen, the national labour fund, has introduced a BD10 monthly tax on foreign workers which it will use to train Bahrainis for private sector jobs. "
Bahrainis are struggling, and they are filling most of the jobs there.
I don't think they have many expats.