Draft bill to boost ‘Bahrainisation’ of jobs

Cairo: Several lawmakers in the Bahraini parliament have tabled a draft bill seeking an amendment to law, to give Bahrainis priority in getting jobs at the country’s private educational institution, local media reported.

The draft was approved by the parliament’s Services Committee on Monday and will now go to the legislature’s bureau, MP Mamdouh Al Saleh, one of its authors, said.

The bill, proposed by five lawmakers, is presented due to an increase in the number of Bahraini graduates hunting for education jobs and incapability of the Education Ministry to offer them jobs in public institutions, Bahraini newspaper Al Bilad said.

“This situation requires legislative solution engaging private educational and training institutions in containing them,” the paper quoted the draft as saying.

MP Al Saleh explained that the objective of the proposal is in line with legislative efforts to boost citizens’ right to employment, saying that the suggestion has drawn backing of the Ministry of Labour and Social Development.

“The ministry has hailed the objectives of the proposal and emphasised its conviction that the amendment will result in boosting Bahrainisation rates at private institutions and reducing unemployment [among Bahrainis] to safe limits,” he added.

The panel said that it had surveyed views of some private schools and educational institutions that have “welcomed” the proposed amendment.

The numbers of foreign employees at such institutions are not clear. Expatriates account for around 54 per cent of Bahrain’s population of 1.5 million.