Local Workers

There have been quite a few stories running in the local papers lately about employment of expat workers. While we normally think of that meaning Brits working abroad here it really means the Indians and Pakistanis who make up the vast majority of the manual labour force and about 50% of the population. It is a big issue as the locals are rapidly becoming outnumbered by the imported workers with the consequential impact on housing, resources and local traditions. The situation, though entirely self-produced, is worse because all the imported work force either have accommodation, food and clothes provided or else they spend minimal amounts on them with the vast majority of their meagre wages returned to their families abroad. The result is that the workers though not paid much individually, because of their numbers account for a massive drain on the finances (cash) of the Bahraini Kingdom as it losses money from its economy.

The workers rights are currently non-existent. Their contract which will pay for their transport over here means they are tied to that employer and whatever pay and conditions he imposes. (Companies going bust generate huge turmoil as their workers have no money to return home but cannot stay in the country as they have no work!). A proposed law to let workers change employer s has terrified the big companies who realise that giving employees freedom of movement creates competition between employers which will cost them money as workers shift to those companies with the best pay and conditions – just like they do in any free labour market!!

Certainly watching the building going on outside my window demonstrates all sorts of issues over health and safety (working at height without safety harnesses, travelling loose in the back of wagons etc) and all for extraordinarily little pay, perhaps £100 a month if they are lucky. (We are on abouit twice our normal pay to survive the high cost of living out here). Stories abound about the inhuman living conditions of many to a room and disasters narrowly averted when accommodation catches fire.

However, dreadful as it may seem these workers are all very happy to be here as the conditions from which they have come are considerably worse and with much less employment opportunity. On top of that, large numbers of those from Pakistan are avoiding a major and very nasty war. By our standards that justifies nothing but by theirs and their employers it explains everything.