Employer ‘need not pay airfare to runaway staff’

Runaway expat employees will have to pay for their air tickets to fly back home, according to new legislation passed by lawmakers. The MPs argued that employers should not have to pay the amount when the employee violates the contract.

The House passed the proposal in this regard, adding a paragraph to Article (27) of Law No (19) of 2006 on the regulation of the labor market. Speaking at the Parliament, MP Ahmed Al Ansari said: “The worker is responsible for his actions from the moment he decides to violate the contract and run away.

In this situation, the employers’ rights must be taken into account. “The employer must not suffer the consequences of the worker’s actions.” The Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) had previously expressed its support for the proposal: “It is unreasonable for the employer to have to bear the cost of sending worker in these cases where the worker violated the contract without a legitimate reason.”

The BCCI had previously stated this demand in its letter to the parliament. In yesterday’s session, the parliament also voted against questioning the Health Minister over alleged mismanagement.