Cairo : Labour and Social Development Minister, Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, today held a meeting here with the Regional Director for Arab States at the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Ruba Jaradat.
The meeting, attended by a team of experts from ILO, was held on the sidelines of the 47th session of the Arab Labour Conference, currently here in Cairo.
The minister reviewed the kingdom’s achievements in developing the work environment and its legislative infrastructure, as well as the steps it has taken to achieve equality between male and female workers in jobs of the same value, in addition to the launch of the Wage Protection System.
Humaidan touched on the work conditions in the Kingdom in terms of labour relations, trade union freedoms and social protection, highlighting Bahrain’s advanced legislative structure that contributes to preserving the basic rights of all workers.
He stressed that the government is continuing its efforts to enhance the work environment and enact legislation and laws in line with international labour standards, as well as enforce preventive and precautionary measures to protect the workforce, both national and expatriate, from the negative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Labour Minister and ILO’s Regional Director for Arab States reviewed the resumption of technical cooperation programmes between the Kingdom and ILO, as well as the enhancement of Bahrain’s benefit from the organisation’s scientific expertise.
Ruba Jaradat praised Bahrain’s constant efforts to achieve gender equality in the work environment, lauding, in this regard, the issuance of Decree-Law 16/2021, on amending some provisions of Law 36/2012 promulgating the Labour Law in Bahrain’s private sector, and prohibiting discrimination in the wages between male and female workers in jobs of the same value.
She also praised the issuance of ministerial edicts that regulate women’s work and consolidate the principle of equality in employment across various economic sectors and professions.
ILO’s Regional Director for Arab States lauded the implementation of the Wage Protection System, noting that Bahrain’s application of the international labour standards consolidates its international status and makes it a model to be emulated for the countries of the region regarding the provision of social protection for workers.
She also commended the measures taken by the kingdom to confront COVID-19 to ensure the continuity of the production and development process, as well as preserve workers’ rights.
