India adamant on revised wages for maids

Manama: India will not bow to pressure and reverse its position on demanding a minimum wage of 100 Bahraini dinars (about Dh974) for maids working in Bahrain, ambassador Balkrishna Shetty yesterday told Gulf News.

"Why should anyone leave India to come here and not live with dignity? Those who choose to come to work here should be treated with respect and given their due," the ambassador said.

The diplomat since taking up post here in 2005 has shown exceptionally strong support of his community, particularly low-paid workers and abused maids.

"In the past, a position in the Gulf looked attractive and many people wanted to seize the opportunity. But today, with the dramatic slide in the US and Gulf currencies and the improvement of living standards in India, not so many people are tempted by a life in the Gulf unless the conditions are satisfactory and adequate," said Shetty who holds a Masters in Mathematics from the Indian Institute of Technology.

The embassy this month implemented a new wage structure for Indian workers, starting with fixing a minimum monthly wage of 100 Bahraini dinars for housemaids and the provision by the employer of a mobile phone.

"Any employer in Bahrain who wants to recruit an Indian housemaid is now bound by an official agreement with the Indian embassy," he said.