Manama: All Indian unskilled workers, including those in the construction sector, will be paid a minimum wage of BD100 (about Dh976) starting next month, ambassador Balkrishna Shetty said yesterday.
The new wage structure will apply to all Indians leaving their homeland to work in Bahrain and to the workers who are already in Bahrain when they renew their contracts, the ambassador said in a statement.
"Our recommendation to fix a minimum wage of BD100 to all unskilled workers has been accepted by the Overseas Indian Affairs Ministry. Starting March 1, India will stop workers from leaving India for Bahrain unless they have contracts attested by the Indian embassy," the ambassador said. "If the employers fail to pay the minimum wage set by the government, we shall hold the recruiting agent responsible."
The Indian government last month fixed $400 (about Dh1,469) a month as the minimum wage, but revised the figure following pressure from ambassadors who said that it was too high.
Resistance
New Delhi last October imposed a BD100 minimum wage for housemaids in Bahrain, a decision that was eventually accepted by employers after some initial resistance.
"The employers understood that we would [not] compromise on the protection of our people from any form of exploitation," Shetty had told Gulf News in November. "We need to help our people tackle inflation and spiralling costs of living in the Gulf."
Around 270,000 Indians, mainly unskilled labourers and maids, live in Bahrain, making them the largest expatriate community.
