February 6, 2017
In early January, Saudi punished workers for "destroying public property and inciting unrest" while protesting unpaid wages. Meanwhile, the government has not meaningfully penalized the companies that failed to pay workers for months.
January 9, 2017
October 18, 2016
December 18, 2015
August 9, 2015
March 22, 2015
Kafala was "supposed to be a good system that makes it incumbent upon nationals to look after non-nationals.” Today it's a tool of extreme exploitation and oppression.
March 18, 2015
Bahrain’s cabinet has recently revised the summer midday work ban for employees working outdoors under the sun, reducing it from three months to two and a half months.
Bahrain’s Labour Market Regulatory Authority has announced the introduction of six-month work permits for migrant workers already residing in Bahrain. This new permit option complements the existing one- and two-year permits, but is not available to workers newly recruited from abroad.
The Bahraini government has ordered public hospitals to refer migrant women to private hospitals for childbirth, with few exceptions. The move is part of a broader trend in recent years to exclude migrants from accessing public services.
Bahrain recently introduced a decision allowing employers who hire workers with invalid or expired work permits to pay reduced fines instead of facing criminal charges. Additionally, migrant workers without valid permits can avoid conviction and deportation by paying a fine.
Starting next year, Bahrain will join other Gulf States in extending its summer midday work ban to three months, following a decision by the Bahraini Cabinet. The ban will now run from June 15 to September 15, replacing the previous two-month period.