Latest news with #MuneerSeroor
Daily Tribune
13-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Tribune
Ten days' paid leave proposed for chronically ill private sector workers
MPs are weighing a new law that would grant chronically ill private sector workers 10 days of paid leave a year, on top of regular sick days. The proposal, now with the Services Committee, would insert a new clause into the Labour Law (No. 36 of 2012), giving extra time off to workers diagnosed with long-term conditions such as diabetes, cancer, sickle cell anaemia, heart disease or kidney failure. The leave would not count against their ordinary sick leave and would be paid in full. Ministerial order Medical proof would be required. A report must come from one of the public medical panels formed by ministerial order. The leave could be split into shorter spells, depending on a doctor's advice, so long as it does not disrupt the daily rhythm of work. Employers would be barred from punishing or singling out anyone who takes it. The proposed article reads: 'Without prejudice to the previous article, an employee diagnosed with a chronic illness, as confirmed by a medical report issued by the public medical committees formed by decision of the minister responsible for health, shall be entitled to a paid leave of ten days per year. 'This leave shall not be counted as part of the employee's regular sick leave. It may be divided based on the worker's needs and a medical recommendation, provided it does not disrupt workflow. Employers shall not take any discriminatory or disciplinary action against the employee for using this leave.' MP Muneer Seroor, who put the idea forward, said it was aimed at easing the strain on those who need regular treatment. 'These illnesses require ongoing medical follow-up which, in the absence of specific leave provisions, can put an employee's professional stability at risk,' he wrote in the explanatory note. Change He added that the change would not load extra costs on businesses. 'It will strengthen social solidarity within the Bahraini labour environment and promote fairer conditions without disrupting workflow,' he wrote. He said the idea rests on a few plain aims: looking after those with long-term illness, giving workers a better shot at staying in their jobs, and keeping Bahrain's labour rules in step with global practice.
Daily Tribune
30-04-2025
- Health
- Daily Tribune
MPs approve ‘Bahrainising' medicine delivery jobs
Parliament has backed an urgent proposal to require companies delivering medicines to homes to employ only Bahraini nationals. New contracts signed with the Ministry of Health will have to include a clause enforcing the change. Under the proposal, the government, through the Ministry of Health, must ensure that private firms providing home delivery services replace their expatriate drivers with trained Bahrainis. The move is intended to raise the quality of service and open a direct path to employment for citizens. The plan was brought forward by Dr Muneer Seroor and four other MPs. Foreign workers Speaking during yesterday's session, Dr Seroor said foreign workers made up the bulk of those delivering medicines. He said the nature of the service, which involves entering people's homes, called for greater care in who was employed. "The delivery of medicines into people's homes demands workers who understand local customs and traditions," Dr Seroor told MPs. "This is a profession that does not require specialised qualifications. With simple training, our citizens can take on this role, making it a direct and practical solution to unemployment." Dr Seroor praised the Ministry of Health for offering a much-needed service to the elderly and patients with longterm illnesses. Gap However, he said that relying heavily on expatriate labour left a gap that could, and should, be filled by Bahrainis. He added that the change would help rebuild public trust in home services, as well as create jobs in towns and villages where opportunities were often scarcer. It would also support the government's effort to bring more Bahrainis into important service roles.
Gulf Insider
24-04-2025
- Business
- Gulf Insider
Thumbs Up For 50% Bahrainisation In Privatised Projects
Lawmakers have passed a new rule forcing companies that take over state services to hire Bahrainis for at least half the jobs, in an attempt to curb the dominance of expat workers in privatised sectors. The proposed amendment requires any firm contracting with the government under a privatisation deal to ensure that no less than fifty per cent of its staff are Bahraini. The proposal was submitted by MPs Dr Muneer Seroor, Mohammed Salman Al Ahmed and Lulwa Al Romaihi. It cleared the Financial and Economic Affairs Committee without objection before being sent to the full chamber, which approved it yesterday. Sectors The rule applies across a swathe of sectors including transport, energy, water, tourism, telecoms, ports, post and oil services, where government assets or responsibilities have been handed over to private firms. Al Romaihi, speaking in the chamber, said the change was meant to reduce the side effects of privatisation. 'Privatisation may deliver economic returns, but it often comes with higher costs for the public,' she said. 'A fifty per cent Bahrainisation requirement offers some measure of security for those who might otherwise be shut out.' Closer watch She added that the state must keep a closer watch on the companies it contracts to make sure they meet the terms of the law. Also read: Gold And Oil Scam Cons Victims Out Of BD97,000
Daily Tribune
23-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Tribune
Thumbs up for 50% Bahrainisation in privatised projects
Lawmakers have passed a new rule forcing companies that take over state services to hire Bahrainis for at least half the jobs, in an attempt to curb the dominance of expat workers in privatised sectors. The proposed amendment requires any firm contracting with the government under a privatisation deal to ensure that no less than fifty per cent of its staff are Bahraini. The proposal was submitted by MPs Dr Muneer Seroor, Mohammed Salman Al Ahmed and Lulwa Al Romaihi. It cleared the Financial and Economic Affairs Committee without objection before being sent to the full chamber, which approved it yesterday. Sectors The rule applies across a swathe of sectors including transport, energy, water, tourism, telecoms, ports, post and oil services, where government assets or responsibilities have been handed over to private firms. Al Romaihi, speaking in the chamber, said the change was meant to reduce the side effects of privatisation. 'Privatisation may deliver economic returns, but it often comes with higher costs for the public,' she said. 'A fifty per cent Bahrainisation requirement offers some measure of security for those who might otherwise be shut out.' She added that the state must keep a closer watch on the companies it contracts to make sure they meet the terms of the law.
Daily Tribune
19-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Tribune
Draft law demands half of privatised roles for Bahrainis
Half of all jobs in privatised state projects should go to Bahrainis under a draft law set for debate in Parliament on Tuesday. The proposal would make it mandatory for contractors hired under government privatisation deals to employ at least 50% Bahraini staff. Put forward by MPs Dr Muneer Seroor, Mohammed Al Ahmed, and Lulwa Al Romaihi, the bill has already been approved by Parliament's Financial and Economic Affairs Committee. It applies across sectors where state control or operations are transferred to the private sector, including tourism, telecoms, transport, ports, power, oil and gas, and postal services. Dr Seroor argued the move was essential to ensure locals benefit from projects that originated in the public domain. 'It's not right for government-run projects to end up in private hands with no guarantees for our people,' he said. 'Job creation for Bahrainis must be a core outcome—not an afterthought.' The draft reads: 'A Bahrainisation quota of no less than fifty per cent must be imposed on any contractor engaged by the government under a privatisation contract.' Supporters say the law addresses a growing disconnect between jobseekers and available positions, particularly as public sector hiring slows. Though no longer state-run, privatised services are often funded through public money and should reflect that in local employment, they argue. The bill has two articles: the first lays out the Bahrainisation requirement, and the second calls for its immediate implementation once published in the Official Gazette.
