Labour Minister receives US Embassy Chargé d'Affaires

Manama, Oct. 16 (BNA): Labour and Social Development Minister, and Board of Directors Chairman of the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA), Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, today received the US Embassy Chargé d'Affaires, Margaret Nardi. The minister lauded the keenness of the US Embassy to follow up on all the developments in the kingdom, and interest in providing all forms of support to government departments. Humaidan reviewed the main initiatives launched by the kingdom to ensure the rights of workers and social protection, citing the Wage Protection System and its role in ensuring the payment of wages as agreed and on time, in accordance with the conditions stipulated in the Labour Law in the Private Sector. He also highlighted the Kingdom's efforts to combat discrimination between workers subject to the Labour Law in the Private Sector and the recent amendments approved in this field, in addition to the Labour Ministry’s efforts to regulate the labour market. The minister also shed light on the results of the second edition of the National Employment Programme, and the efforts being exerted by the Labour Ministry to provide decent job opportunities to the citizens, in addition to the incentives provided by the Programme to employers, including supporting wages, training programmes and rehabilitation of the national human resources, in accordance with the needs of the labour market. He also reviewed the roles played by the Labour Ministry and LMRA in the field of combating trafficking in persons, and the steps taken to develop and follow up on the implementation of the National Referral Mechanism for Victims of Trafficking in Persons to ensure that it achieves full protection for the victims. Regarding social protection, Humaidan indicated that the Labour Ministry is keen to continue providing support for vulnerable segments in society, in addition to its interest in launching new initiatives within the framework of the implementation of the Restorative Justice Law for Children. Chargé d'Affaires Margaret Nardi stressed the depth of the long-standing US-Bahraini relations, affirming her country’s keenness to develop its constructive and fruitful cooperation with the kingdom at all levels, in a way that would serve the interests of the two friendly countries and their peoples.