18/01/2021 “Prestigious” construction company in Bahrain leaves workers in despair | Migrant-Rights.org Migrant-Rights.org reached out to the company on their registered email but received no response. According to the workers, the company’s management has not been responsive and continuously ignores their calls. Social workers on the ground told MR that the MoL is currently negotiating with the company owner to ‘amicably’ resolve the issue. These drawn-out ‘negotiations take place without the presence of workers at the table and o en result in no resolution or reprieve. As a short-term solution, the Bahraini government should use the unemployment fund to pay for stranded migrant worker’s wages and immediate needs, and reclaim that amount at a later point from the employer. The fund established under the social insurance law has an annual surplus of BD 80 million (USD 212 million, according to Al-Ayam). Though the unemployment fund is rarely used for migrant workers, migrants – who make up 80% of the private sector’s workforce – do pay into Bahrain’s social security system, including unemployment insurance. The Bahraini government must immediately put an end to the rampant problem of non-payment which has been a ecting many workers over the past years, with the COVID-19 pandemic worsening the situation. The government must be strict in regulating and enforcing labour laws and penalties for noncompliance, and hold employers accountable, including the owner of Fundament SPC. Previous Nearly 500 AMB-Hertel workers stage strike in UAE Next Workers on WC site unpaid for months, despite authorities being aware Other articles from this category Working conditions Labour Inspections in Bahrain: Inadequate and Inefficient On January 7, 2021 Qatar 18 months of non-payment, Qatari company leaves workers in the lurch On October 14, 2020 Saudi Arabia Alumco immune to strikes, court ruling, and continuing angst of workers On October 13, 2020 https://www.migrant-rights.org/2020/06/prestigious-construction-company-in-bahrain-leaves-workers-in-despair/ 2/3

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