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Viewing cable 07MANAMA219, MINISTER OF LABOR DISCUSSES NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
07MANAMA219 2007-03-07 14:40 2011-08-30 01:44 CONFIDENTIAL Embassy Manama
VZCZCXRO8543
OO RUEHDE RUEHDIR
DE RUEHMK #0219/01 0661440
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 071440Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY MANAMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6524
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC PRIORITY
RHBVAKS/COMUSNAVCENT  PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 MANAMA 000219 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DOL/ILAB FOR JRUDE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/03/2017 
TAGS: ECON ELAB PGOV PHUM SOCI BA HUMRIT POL
SUBJECT: MINISTER OF LABOR DISCUSSES NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT 
PROJECT, LABOR REFORM WITH AMBASSADOR 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador William T. Monroe for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
. 
 
------- 
Summary 
------- 
 
1.  (C) Minister of Labor Dr. Abdulmajeed Al Alawi told the 
Ambassador February 28 that since January 2006, unemployment 
had dropped in Bahrain from 15% to 3.8% under the National 
Employment Project (NEP), leaving only approximately 4,000 
unemployed remaining in the program.  He said the second 
phase of the NEP would provide training to low-salary 
Bahraini workers already in jobs, while supplementing their 
earnings to a minimum of 200 BD ($530) monthly.  Labor reform 
legislation, which will replace Bahrain's 1976 labor law, has 
gone to the Cabinet for approval before being forwarded to 
parliament.  Al Alawi said that the Labor Market Regulatory 
Authority (LMRA) would begin managing the expatriate labor 
force in the fall, generating revenue from increased fees on 
individual workers.  In a separate meeting with the 
Ambassador March 1, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, 
and recently appointed Labor Fund director, Nizar Al Baharna 
said that under the new labor reform program, the Labor Fund 
will provide training for workers as well as offer 
consultancy services to companies to assist in improving 
their operational systems.  End summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
National Employment Project Success, Challenges 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
2.  (C) Minister of Labor Dr. Abdulmajeed Al Alawi told the 
Ambassador in a meeting February 28 that unemployment in 
Bahrain had dropped from approximately 15% to 3.8% since 
January 2006 as a result of the NEP.  Of the nearly 18,600 
who have registered with the program over its 14-month 
existence, most are either currently employed or have 
voluntarily withdrawn from the program.  According to Al 
Alawi, there are approximately 4,000 unemployed remaining, 
96% of whom are women.  He said that the NEP has a job bank 
listing approximately 9,000 positions offered by employers to 
be filled with trained graduates of the program.  Al Alawi 
expressed satisfaction with how the project has proceeded, 
saying "the problem is small and can be controlled."  Only 
ten percent of the budgeted 30 million dinars ($80 million) 
has been spent thus far and the program is entering a second 
phase.  (Comment:  The GOB does not publish official 
unemployment statistics, and we have no way of confirming Al 
Alawi's information.) 
 
3.  (C) In an attempt to raise the skills and wages of 
Bahraini workers already in jobs, the NEP's second phase is 
offering training for Bahraini workers and a temporary salary 
supplement in exchange for employer assurances that they will 
raise the wages of these workers.  Al Alawi said that there 
are approximately 30,000 Bahraini workers whose wages are 
under BD 200 ($530) monthly.  The NEP will train workers with 
the intent of boosting productivity and subsidizing their 
salaries for six months so that their take-home pay will be 
BD 200 monthly.  At the end of the six month period, the NEP 
asks employers to maintain their workers' salaries at BD 200. 
 Al Alawi said that 250 companies have so far agreed to the 
program.  To both recognize their commitment and to encourage 
others to participate, the government placed half-page ads in 
the Arabic daily newspapers listing the names of the 
companies. 
 
4.  (C) Al Alawi said that the NEP had experienced challenges 
in dealing with entrenched attitudes of both employers and 
the unemployed.  A program goal is to build trust in Bahraini 
workers, who have a negative reputation in the marketplace. 
Similarly the program works to convince Bahraini workers to 
take private sector jobs and not expect to find a government 
job.  Some unemployed people registered with the program had 
refused private sector offers, saying they would only accept 
government jobs, and thus left the program. 
 
------------ 
Labor Reform 
------------ 
 
5.  (C) When asked about press reports concerning labor 
reform legislation, Al Alawi said that since the current 
Labor Law had been passed in 1976 and was based on 1950's 
Egyptian labor legislation, there was a need for new 
legislation.  A major challenge for companies today is 
 
MANAMA 00000219  002 OF 003 
 
 
adjusting to the activities of unions and working with them 
to address issues.  The legislation had been sent to the 
Economic Development Board and the International Labor 
Organization for comment, and it is currently with the 
Cabinet for approval before it is sent to parliament. 
 
6.  (C) Mentioning that the LMRA and the Labor Fund had been 
established under earlier legislation, Al Alawi said that the 
LMRA had a target of October 1 to take over management of the 
expatriate labor force and introduce new fees on expatriate 
workers.  He recognized the need for the sponsorship system 
to be reformed and for expatriate laborers to have more 
freedom, but said this would be phased in over time.  Al 
Alawi noted that the inspection regime has been strengthened, 
including legal authority given to inspectors to close 
companies and impose fines on violators. 
 
7.  (C) Al Alawi explained that current monthly fees for 
expatriate workers were BD 6.5 ($17) per worker, but that 
rates would go up to approximately BD 20 ($53).  The extra 
income generated would be split, 80% to the Labor Fund to pay 
for continuing training for Bahraini workers and 20% to the 
Ministry of Labor.  These figures have been approved by the 
Labor Fund and a white paper has been sent to the Bahrain 
Chamber of Commerce and labor unions for discussion.  Early 
feedback from employers has been negative.  When asked if 
household workers were included in this new plan, Al Alawi 
said that they were not included, contrary to his will and 
counsel.  "This creates a labor back door that companies will 
exploit to bring in extra workers." 
 
--------------------------------- 
Looking for Model Programs Abroad 
--------------------------------- 
 
8.  (C) Al Alawi told the Ambassador that he was part of a 
government commission responsible for education reform that 
had been set up by Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Mohammed Bin 
Mubarak Al Khalifa.  The group had formed small delegations 
to visit several countries to learn more about what they were 
doing in educational reform.  He said that he had recently 
visited Australia and New Zealand to look into technical 
education programs, as the GOB has seen the need to expand 
its polytechnical course offerings.  Al Alawi mentioned that 
in Australia he also looked into the unemployment insurance 
program.  Bahrain has started registration for its own 
unemployment insurance and has linked it to the NEP program. 
 
--------------------- 
Labor Fund Objectives 
--------------------- 
 
9.  (C) In a separate meeting March 1, the Ambassador asked 
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Nizar Al Baharna about 
his January appointment as director of the Labor Fund.  Al 
Baharna said the biggest challenge was gaining the confidence 
of the private sector that they should support, and would 
benefit from, the Fund.  The Fund has begun receiving the 
current annual fees for expatriate work permits, which are BD 
150/worker ($400) and will total about BD 20 million ($53 
million) for the year.  The fee structure has not yet been 
revised under the new labor reform program, but Al Baharna 
said the annual fee for expatriate workers would probably 
jump to BD 300/worker ($800) and raise BD 40 million ($106 
million) annually.  (Note:  Noting that Al Baharna's estimate 
of the fees is different from Al Alawi's, it is clear that 
many details about the fee system have yet to be determined.) 
 
10.  (C) The Labor Fund, Al Baharna said, needs to show 
companies that they will benefit from money they pay into the 
system.  The Fund will provide training for Bahraini workers. 
 Additionally, the Fund intends to offer consultancy services 
for qualifying companies to assist in improving their 
systems, such as warehousing, accounting, and other internal 
operations.  Ten local companies that participated in a pilot 
project for the consultancy services were happy with the 
results, Al Baharna said.  In this initial test run, the Fund 
paid 80% of the costs while the companies paid 20%.  In a 
second phase, to involve 200 companies, costs will be split 
70/30. 
 
11.  (C) Al Baharna said that another feature of the Fund,s 
activities will be to partner large companies with medium 
companies, and medium companies with small companies, to 
create links and transfer expertise.  Because of the 
structure of Bahrain,s private sector, which is dominated by 
vertically integrated, insular, family-owned companies, there 
 
MANAMA 00000219  003 OF 003 
 
 
is very little interaction between the various tiers of 
companies, Al Baharna said.  Likewise, there is little 
competition between them, so larger companies should not feel 
constrained in assisting smaller ones.  Al Baharna thought 
this aspect of the Fund,s activities could be a win-win for 
all involved. 
 
********************************************* ******** 
Visit Embassy Manama's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/manama/ 
********************************************* ******** 
MONROE