Minister of Labour confirms stability and growth in Bahrain’s labour market thanks to the economic recovery plan

07-12-2022

H.E. Mr. Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, Minister of Labour and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA), affirmed that the Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain, headed by HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, attaches great importance to continuing and strengthening cooperation with the International Labor Organization (ILO) and brotherly and friendly countries in order to consolidate the foundations and principles and its endeavours to spread social justice and promote fundamental rights at work. His Excellency also expressed his thanks and appreciation for the generous patronage by H.E. Mrs. Halimah Yacob, President of the Republic of Singapore, and for her support of the stability and growth of the relationship between the production parties. Humaidan also referred to the economic recovery plan launched by the Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain in order to stimulate the national economy, develop the labor market, develop promising sectors and attract more job-generating investments. Accordingly, he explained the aspects of the success of this plan, which contributed to raising the employment rates of citizens, reducing the unemployment rate, and achieving more stability and growth for the labor market in a period not exceeding a year of its launch This came in the speech of the Kingdom of Bahrain delivered by Humaidan before the 17th Conference of Ministers of Labour and Employment of the Asia-Pacific Member States of the International Labour Organization (ILO), which is held in Singapore from 6 to 9 December 2022. Participation in this conference is represented by high-level delegations, led by labour ministers from 47 countries, and heads of employers' and workers' organizations and organizations in Asia and the Pacific. H.E. the Minister of Labour praised the Director-General's choice of the theme "Renewed social justice for a human centered recovery in Asia, the Pacific and Arab countries" as the theme of the conference, due to its close relevance to the various challenges faced by member states. In addition to being the main axis of the strategic plan to support the structural transformation of countries' economies in a way that contributes to the growth of labour markets and the achievement of job security and social protection. In his speech, Humaidan reviewed Bahrain's efforts to overcome the repercussions imposed by the global spread of the Corona pandemic (Covid-19) and the success stories it has recorded in this path by launching initiatives with humanitarian, health and economic dimensions. At the forefront of these are the provision of financial and social support packages to private sector enterprises to address the economic effects of the pandemic, which effectively contributed to the stability of the labor market and avoiding the specter of layoffs or job losses. During his narration of the events, HE the Minister of Labour touched on the role of integrated social protection systems in addressing the repercussions of the pandemic, referring in this context to the role of the unemployment insurance system, which has been applied in the Kingdom since 2006. He also referred to the contribution of the project in strengthening social protection for workers and job seekers during this exceptional period. At the end of his speech, he thanked the Republic of Singapore for hosting the work of this conference, stressing that the Kingdom of Bahrain is proactive in cooperating with the production parties to achieve the objectives of the organization.