Labour Minister Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan met with International Labour Organisation’s DG Juan Somavia on the sidelines of the 100th ILO session, being held in Geneva, Switzerland.
He gave an update on positive developments which reflect the normalization of life in the Kingdom of Bahrain. He stressed particularly the national consensus to embark on a multi-party dialogue engaging all segments of the social spectrum.
He also pointed out efforts aimed at bolstering confidence and strengthening national unity to ensure the success of the forthcoming national dialogue, in accordance with the instructions of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa.
During the meeting, the minister highlighted the results of the initiative taken by the Bahrain Government to address the issue of the sacked employees in the aftermath of recent incidents which gripped the Kingdom of Bahrain.
He pointed out steps to avert any arbitrary sackings which may be detrimental to workers without any legal justification. “These steps have already yielded fruitful results, as many sacked workers have already been reinstated into their jobs”, he said.
He announced that more sacked workers would be reinstated within the coming days. He also reaffirmed Bahrain’s commitment to international labour conventions, pointing out positive initiatives and steps which reflect the kingdom’s keenness on protecting workers’ rights as stipulated in law provisions. The minister discussed with the ILO director general Bahrain’s success in overcoming recent incidents and addressing their repercussions.
Humaidan cited the measures undertaken by the Government to support owners of private companies, particularly small and medium businesses.
He pointed out advantages provided for this particular business to enable them to overcome the difficulties they are confronting due to recent crisis and preserve their productivity and competitiveness. He stressed the contribution of these companies in stabilizing the labour market and ensuring decent working opportunities for jobseekers.