MPs have taken up the case of 35 Bahrainis who returned from Saudi Arabia in March due to the Covid-19 crisis and have been without work since.
The citizens, who work in Saudi, have sent letters to the leadership asking for urgent support after the Social Insurance Organisation (SIO) rejected their requests for three-month wages alongside other Bahrainis working in the private sector, despite paying for social insurance.
They say they have been unable to cross King Fahad Causeway since it was closed on March 7 to combat the spread of Covid-19 and have been given leave without pay by their employers in Saudi Arabia.
“We went to the Labour and Social Development Ministry to get our names listed for three-month wages under the initiative for April, May and June,” said a 37-year-old Bahraini car salesman, who was assigned as spokesman for the group.
“However, we were told that since we are not listed under a Bahraini employer who they could negotiate with and the SIO told us that even though we are registered we don’t pay the whole amount as other Bahrain-based workers and are ineligible for the three-month wages.
“The authorities also contacted the Saudi authorities to have us receive 60pc pay under their three-month scheme, but they were told that this only applies to Saudi nationals and not GCC nationals.”
PLIGHT
Their plight was highlighted during a Parliament session in April, but nothing has happened.
Parliament’s financial and economic affairs committee chairman Ahmed Al Salloom said the rules of the ministry and SIO should be flexible to help Bahraini citizens in such unprecedented times.
“Rules should be humanitarian and flexible to serve good and not to drive Bahraini families into despair,” he said.
“I spearheaded the campaign to help the 35 Bahrainis in April, but hurdles were placed to stop any support because they don’t fall under the normal criteria.”
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