Minimum Salary for Housemaids in Bahrain Set

The Philippine government has set the minimum salary of Filipina housemaids in Bahrain to 75 Bahraini Dinar (BD) or approximately P10,000 as part of their campaign in protecting housemaids working in Bahrain and in other part of the Middle East.

Employers who want to employ Filipina must first submit declarations notarized by the Justice Ministry stating that they agree to pay the BD75 as minimum wage of the housemaid they are hiring.

Labor Attaché Alejandro Santos said that without the new document, the Philippine Embassy would not process the contract.

Santos said that they are implementing the new rule strictly after the embassy discovered that several employers failed to follow the BD75 minimum salary for housemaids, which was introduced in the Philippines last year.

“We have discovered that many employers still do not observe the new minimum wage and to make sure that they do, we have introduced this new requirement with the help of the Justice Ministry,” he said.

Last May, the government also introduced the compulsory personal accident insurance for Filipina maids in Bahrain.

Aside from that, the Philippine Embassy has started sending the Labor Ministry the list of recruitment agencies and employers who have allegedly abused Filipino workers.

“If an employer has a problem with BD75 salary, BD25 insurance and the declaration needed to be notarised, then by all means hire another maid from another country,” said Mr Santos.

“Without fulfilling our requirements, we will not process any contracts at the embassy,” he added.

The insurance policy covers the maid’s death or permanent disablement by violent accident, external or visible means. It cost BD25 (minimum) and is good for two years.

This article was first published in www.ofwguide.com on August 6, 2006