National Day Bonanza for Workers!!

Despite the low salaries for employees with certain skin colours and backgrounds (Bahrainis included) in the Kingdom of Bahrain, I would like to argue today that Bahrain seems to be the best place to be employed in!!

You may ask why. Of course, you should. Some Businessmen and citizens in Bahrain are renowned for their atrocious track record in treating foreign workers. Any employee who is not ready to toil day and night, all year long, is quickly bundled up and sent back to his country on the earliest and cheapest flight - ensuring of course that it takes the most complicated route, no doubt!!

In a country run on slavery and cheap labour, workers are finally breathing a sigh of relief, thanks to the many many holidays.

This weekend, workers get a four-day bonanza...or do they? National Day falls on December 16 and 17, which fall on Thursday and Friday. As a result, they will be compensated and given Saturday and Sunday off...or will they??

The Prime Minister's edict was clear. I read it in Arabic and English and Arabic again. It specifically says the four-day National Day holiday is for the public and private sectors. It is, in fact, the first time that the private sector is mentioned.

But does it apply to the first two days or the second two days, since not all private sector companies give their employees the benefit of a five-day week?
What about banks which are closed on Saturday? Should they now compensate their staff and give them Monday off because Saturday was declared a holiday?
I don't know and I really don't want to know.

The Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry added insult to injury by refusing to go on the record and tell private sector companies what the Prime Ministerial edict means.

It has unilaterally issued a statement in the Press saying that IT (The Chamber) will be closed Thursday and Friday and Saturday. It will reopen on Sunday!!!

When HH Shaikh Zayed died last month, the Chamber landed itself in hot water by declaring that the holiday was for the public sector and not the private sector! The Cabinet retaliated by saying that the Chamber had no authority to decide when there are holidays in Bahrain!!!

Well... very democratic, I see. Businessmen are being told how to run their businesses..but this isn't the issue now.

The issue is the poor worker. Now, we all know that people are happy with holidays. In fact, the case here is: the more, the merrier! We all know that many staff in private companies will not report to work on Sunday! We also know that all employers would want them to be on their desks on Sunday or they will have to pay the price dearly...soon!!

This situation is what makes Bahrain what it is today. This confusion is normal.

There isn't a policy and there isn't anyone strong enough to stand up and demand AN ANSWER.

The businessmen are too worried about their interests to turn around and ask the Cabinet what exactly does this holiday edict mean. They will not want to be seen as so stupid to ask the obvious.

They want to continue to nod and smile and kiss noses! Asking a question may cause an embarrassment. Of course, no businessman should put himself in this position.
Let the workers suffer. Yes. They deserve it.

The idiots will go to work on Sunday. The rest will have a day's pay cut from their salaries!

So much for transparency!!