The Minister of Labor and Social Development declares: The payment of wages for the month of April to citizens working in private sector establishments

26-04-2020

Based on the royal directives to launch a financial and economic package to support citizens and the private sector to deal with the effects of the current situation and maintain sustainable growth, and the esteemed government’s commitment to pay the wages of Bahraini citizens working in the private sector and registered with the Social Insurance Organization (SIO) for the months of April, May and June 2020, which comes as part of national efforts to mitigate the effects of the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID‑19), His Excellency Jameel bin Mohammad Ali Humaidan, Minister of Labour and Social Development, announced that companies and institutions operating in the private sector have already begun disbursing wages to their Bahraini employees, and the vast majority of them have received their wages for the month of April with ease and convenience, as the Ministry of Labour is immediately addressing any delays or administrative difficulties, should they occur. In a statement on this occasion, Humaidan praised the keenness of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the country's great king, may God protect and preserve him, and the esteemed government, headed by His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister, and the continuous follow‑up of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, may God protect them, to provide the necessary liquidity for the private sector to deal with the effects of the current situation and mitigate the social and economic impacts of the consequences of the global Coronavirus pandemic. He explained that all amounts the government had previously transferred to the accounts of companies and institutions had been deposited smoothly, given that the Kingdom of Bahrain possesses an integrated database from which every citizen registered with the SIO benefits. He pointed out that the payment of wages for Bahrainis during the mentioned months comes in implementation of the text of Law No. (8) of 2020 Adding a New Clause No. (3) to Paragraph (c) of Article (8) of Legislative Decree No. (78) of 2006 on Unemployment Insurance, which stipulates “payment of wages for insured Bahraini workers under the provisions of the Social Insurance Law promulgated by Legislative Decree No. (24) of 1976 for a period of three months starting from April 2020, up to a maximum amount of their insured salary, taking into consideration Clause (e) of this Article.” On this occasion, Humaidan expressed his appreciation and gratitude to private‑sector companies and institutions for their cooperation and commitment to disbursing the salaries of Bahraini employees on time. He emphasised that the majority of citizens have already received their wages, and that a few minor complaints have been identified and are currently being followed up and resolved. The Ministry of Labour and Social Development has announced the opening of communication channels for concerned citizens to report and register complaints if their establishments have not disbursed their April wages. They can file a complaint during the period in which the government is responsible for paying the salaries for the aforementioned three months by calling the following telephone numbers: 17873919 – 17873918 – 17873913 during official working hours, or by sending the report via email to: insp@mlsd.gov.bh.