A new initiative aimed at ensuring greater rights for domestic workers will be launched soon by one of Bahrain’s main trade unions.
It will feature a series of campaigns focused on “decent work” and tackle what the General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions (GFBTU) termed “taboo” subject when it comes to the rights of domestic workers.
According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), decent work involves “opportunities for work that are productive and deliver a fair income, security in the workplace and social protection for families, better prospects for personal development and social integration, freedom for people to express their concerns, organise and take part in the decisions that affect their lives and equality of opportunity and treatment for all women and men”.
Under the GFBTU initiative, Bahraini households will be educated on the workers’ rights, including paying them a fair wage, allowing them Internet access to be able to speak to their families, giving them mandatory days off and ensure they receive their end-of-service settlement.
“No one wants to talk about working hours and the rights of domestic workers in Bahrain because they are still taboo,” said GFBTU secretary general Hassan Al Halwachi.
“We started our project last year under which members were asked to bring their housemaids to attend workshops and even called for more co-operation between sending and receiving countries to address grievances.”
The outreach programme will continue this year, to cover all domestic workers and their employers.
“GCC countries in general need to step up efforts to provide decent working conditions for domestic workers.
“The Bahrain government provides protection for this segment of expatriate workers, but we need more efforts.
“The problem is it’s difficult to enter households and talk about rights of workers, because traditionally nothing like this has happened or been spoken about.”
Mr Al Halwachi said domestic workers should be provided with special kits before they arrive in Bahrain. The package should contain a copy of their signed job contract, emergency telephone numbers in Bahrain, including those of the GFBTU, travel and visa documents.
“They should also have Internet access while in Bahrain so they can communicate with their families back home.”
The federation has not received a single complaint by domestic workers, because it’s difficult for workers in households to contact the union.
Meanwhile, the GFBTU last month signed a two-year memorandum of understanding with the International Domestic Workers Federation (IDWF) to promote migrant domestic workers’ rights and welfare in Bahrain.
The agreement is a milestone to strengthen the collaboration between GFBTU and IDWF to help migrant domestic workers in Bahrain by “empowering them through education, organising and advocacies and to help them in their urgent problems which in many instances can be remedied by legal assistance”.
“This is a key agreement that aims to conduct nationwide programmes until next year specifically promoting the rights of domestic workers,” said Mr Al Halwachi.
“Last year, we promoted the IDWF’s ‘My Fair Home’ campaign in majlises to ensure dignity and decent work to all domestic workers.
“Our future plan includes hosting training programmes for domestic workers where they will attend lectures and later be given movie tickets or allowed recreational activities for a few hours.
According to Labour Market Regulatory Authority, the top three nationalities of domestic workers for the second quarter of last year were Indians (21,567), Ethiopians (21,306) and Filipinos (20,316).
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