Gulf | Bahrain

Bahrain likely to scrap wage decision for Indian workers

Plan for unskilled labourers to get BD100 monthly meets with resistance.

  • By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief
  • Published: 21:42 February 29, 2008
  • Gulf News

Manama: New Delhi's hope to emulate its success in imposing a minimum wage for Indian maids looks doubtful after a decision to help unskilled labourers is likely to be withdrawn on Monday.

The decision to fix a BD100 (about Dh978) minimum wage for Indian labourers signing new contracts in Bahrain was scheduled to come into force today, but has been frozen until the Overseas Indian Affairs Ministry resumes work on Monday and may be withdrawn following the unexpected resistance by Bahrain's government and contractors.

A New Delhi decision to fix a minimum wage for maids last October was accepted by Bahrainis despite some limited protests, and the success seems to have encouraged the Indian authorities to push to apply the same measure for its 230,000 unskilled workers.

Minimum salary

In February, Ambassador Balkrishna Shetty said unskilled workers on fresh contracts would be given a minimum wage of BD100 to help them with spiralling costs of living.

His remark, which he insisted was in accordance with the policy decided by New Delhi, sparked a series of unprecedented strikes and the paralysis of work in one of Bahrain's largest work sites.

Several contractors and some officials blamed Shetty for his statement, claiming that it was a catalyst for the strikes, and warned of dire consequences.

Some contractors talked about seeking menial labour in other countries, such as Vietnam.

The ambassador rejected the charges, saying he was merely implementing his country's decisions to protect its citizens against rising costs of living and the falling value of foreign currencies against the Indian rupee.

New Delhi had succeeded in October to implement a decision to fix the minimum wage for maids at BD100 and to offer them a mobile to be able to call their embassy in emergency cases.

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