Pay rise for Bahrain's public sector approved unanimously by parliament

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Parliament has once again approved a proposal to increase wages for public sector employees by 20 per cent.

The 35 MPs present at yesterday’s weekly session unanimously voted in favour of the bill.

MPs first approved the proposal in 2013, but it was rejected by the Shura Council earlier this year.

The bill was originally presented by Parliament and Shura Council Affairs Minister Ghanim Al Buainain when he was an MP in 2011.

However, he said yesterday that the proposal was only a version of what he presented back then.

“I would like to be the hero here, but my proposal was made on February 2, 2011 for a 25pc increase and the leadership intervened in November 2011 and increased wages by 20pc,” he said.

“My original proposal was revived by other MPs and it was not me who signed the version you see now, despite copying it partially.”

During debate on the proposal, MP Mahmood Al Bahrani said the private sector should also be included under the pay rise initiative.

“The proposal should be comprehensive and include all sectors, private and public,” he said.

“In the government sector it should be done through direct pay rises and in the private sector it should be done through supported wages.

“The private sector continues to be the ugly duckling despite the increase in fees and taxes covering the whole country.”

MP Zainab Abdulamir, who voted in favour of the proposal, initially requested her colleagues to reject it on the basis it would create further social inequality.

“The least a government employee earns is BD322 and with the pay rise they will get BD64 more, while the highest is BD3,900 and the increase will be BD780,” she said.

“While, the private sector remains in the lower ranks even in its highest, therefore we need to reject this proposal and replace it with something comprehensive that even includes pensioners. This is a crisis as it will kill the natural level of society’s progression.”

The proposal comes as the government is enforcing austerity measures and more than 8,000 civil servants have gone on early voluntary retirement.

The issue has been referred back to the Shura Council for a second vote and if rejected then it will be sent to a joint National Assembly session. However, no such session has been held since the bicameral chambers were formed in 2002.

mohammed@gdn.com.bh

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