The decision to impose a minimum wage for BD100 for unskilled labourers is not decided by the Indian government but an initiative taken by the Indian Embassy in Bahrain according to statements by the Oversees Indian Affairs Ministry that was told to Khaleej Times in India. The ministry revealed the distribution of circular among embassies banning them from taking such initiatives without seeking permission from the bodies concerned.
“We cannot keep quite if the decision was not decided by the Indian government and the Foreign Affair Ministry has to talk to the embassy to clarify the matter as after all personal initiatives shouldn’t affect the economic growth of the Kingdom and Businessmen’s financial interest,” lawmaker and businessmen, Ahmed Bahzad, said.“Businessmen mainly owners of construction companies are against imposing minimum wages as labourers come to Bahrain after signing contracts with their employers and their salaries are determined according to demand and supply of manpower and skills of the workers, but we couldn’t challenge the decision as we though it was an interior matter between the Indian government and its citizens,” he said.
Bahzad blamed the ambassador of the latest strikes of labourers as he said that after hearing about the minimum wage decision they (labourers) started demanding pay rise.
Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Labour Jameel Humadan, said that it was too early to decide the government’s reactions towards the issue.
“We have been told that the decision was taken by the Indian government similar to the minimum wage of BD100 for maid that was implemented in September.”
He said that the issue should be dealt by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Owner of Al Hubil Recruitment Agency, Abas Redha Al Basri said that he stopped supplying companies with Indian manpower because of the restrictions imposed by the embassy and the minimum wage system.
The embassy doesn’t approve application to hire Indian maids before buying a mobile phone with telephone connections to the workers.
“Embassies’ new rules are affecting our businesses, especially imposing minimum wage systems and costly paperwork procedures,” Al Basri said.
