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Manama: One of Bahrain's leading companies on Sunday came under attack from its trade union after it said that it would offer salary increases to its expatriate workers to offset the effect of the falling dollar. The measure did not include Bahraini staff.
"This decision is a form of discrimination between employees and a clear violation of the international labour convention (No. 111) concerning discrimination in respect of employment and occupation that bars favouritism and bias," the trade union of the Bahrain Telecommunications Company (Batelco) said in a press statement.
Batelco last week said that it would increase the salaries of its expatriate staff from 16 nationalities to help them confront the impact of spiralling prices and, eventually, ensure that they do leave the company. Foreigners make up seven per cent of the 1,630 people employed by the company.
"A total of 92 foreigners benefited from a 10 to 11 per cent increase in their salaries whereas the fall of the Bahrain Dinar against their currencies was about 7.5 per cent," Batelco officials said in a press statement.
"Last year, we increased the salaries of 84 per cent of staff, regardless of their nationalities, and this year, we have given increases ranging between 5 and 20 per cent to 50 Bahrainis."
However, the trade union said that the measure to give increases to expatriates only was "a dangerous development."
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