Bahrain keen to ensure workers’ welfare, safety

Manama, June 26 (BNA): The Kingdom, within its unwavering efforts to achieve sustainable development goals, has recently taken multiple initiatives to enhance policies aimed at improving the living standards of the citizens and residents alike. The initiatives aim to create decent work opportunities for all, ensure optimal use of human resources, especially nationals, and provide a healthy and secure work environment for all at all sites. The goals of such development measures and initiatives are multifold. They aim mainly to achieve justice, increase productivity, and ensure decent living and equal opportunities for all workers, especially people with special needs, retirees, youth and women.  Among the measures taken by the kingdom recently is the implementation of the afternoon outdoor work ban during July and August. The move reflects the importance allocated by the Kingdom, under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, to workers and commitment to respecting their human rights and ensuring their safety. Added to this, HM King Hamad, while chairing the regular weekly Cabinet session on June 25, gave directives to the government to re-discuss the two pension draft laws, in cooperation with the Legislative Branch. HM the King also requested His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa to form a joint executive-legislature committee as soon as possible to facilitate reaching a consensual deal that would preserve pension funds and protect retirees’ rights. HM King Hamad also gave directives to re-structure the Board of Directors of the Social Insurance Organisation and provide it with qualified competencies to ensure effective management of retirement funds and preserve the funds of their affiliates. The recent moves testify to the government’s continuous initiatives to ensure Bahraini and expatriate workers’ rights, as well as commitment to developing human resources and protecting their gains.