COUNTRY BASELINE UNDER THE ILO DECLARATION ANNUAL REVIEW (2000-2008)1: BAHRAIN |
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REPORTING |
Fulfillment of Government’s reporting obligations |
YES, since the start of the 2000 Annual Review (AR). No change reports for the 2004, 2005 and 2006 ARs. | |
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Involvement of Employers’ and Workers’ organizations in the reporting process |
YES, according to the Government: Involvement of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) and the General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions (GFBTU) through communication of Government’s reports. | ||
OBSERVATIONS BY THE SOCIAL PARTNERS |
Employers’ organizations |
2008 AR: Observations by the BCCI. 2007 AR: Observations by the BCCI. | |
Workers’ organizations |
2008 AR: Observations by the GFBTU. 2007 AR: Observations by the GFBTU. 2006 AR: Observations by the GFBTU. | ||
EFFORTS AND PROGRESS MADE IN REALIZING THE PRINCIPLE AND RIGHT |
Ratification |
Ratification status |
Bahrain ratified in 2001 the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) (C.182). However, it has not ratified the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) (C. 138). |
Ratification intention |
YES, in 2002, for C.138. 2008 AR: The Government stated that it was planning to establish a tripartite committee that will deal with the ratification of the remaining ILO fundamental Conventions. The BCCI hoped that the tripartite committee would be set up very shortly. The GFBTU supported the ratification of C.138. 2007 AR: According to the Government, the BCCI and the GFBTU: A tripartite committee should be set up to study and make recommendations on further ratification of ILO fundamental Conventions, including C.138. The GFBTU expressed its support for ratification of this Convention by Bahrain. 2001 AR: Based on information in GB.282/LILS/7 and GB.282/8/2 (Nov. 2001), the Government indicated that ratification of C.138 was under consideration. | ||
Recognition of the principle and right (prospect(s), means of action, basic legal provisions) |
Constitution |
YES The Constitution (article 5) recognizes the principle and right (PR). | |
Policy, legislation and/or regulations
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According to the Government: The PR is recognized in legislation, judicial decisions and collective agreements in Bahrain. Policy: 2000 AR: According to the Government: Policy: the Council of Ministers approved in 1998 the establishment of a Child Committee. Legislation: The Labour Code (sections. 49-58). (i) The Constitution, article 5; (ii) the Labour Code, sections 49-58; (ii) Legislative Decree No. 16 of 1991, (iii) Decree No. 8 of 1998, (iv) Legislative Decree No. 3 of 1996; and Legislative Decree No. 17; (v) Social Insurance Law No. 24 of 1976, (vi) Ministerial Order No. 22 of 1995, (vii) Ministerial Decree No. 6 of 1996, section 51 of the Labour Law for the private sector enacted by Decree No. 23 of 1976. | ||
Judicial decisions |
NIL | ||
Exercise of the principle and right |
Compulsory education |
YES, the age of completion of free compulsory schooling for boys and girls is 12. | |
EFFORTS AND PROGRESS MADE IN REALIZING THE PRINCIPLE AND RIGHT |
Exercise of the principle and right |
Minimum Age |
2003 AR: General minimum age is 16 years for both boys and girls. This general minimum age covers the following types of work: work performed in a family-owned or operated enterprise; work performed in enterprises below a certain size; homework; domestic service; self-employed work; commercial agriculture; family and small-scale agriculture; light work; and work performed in export processing zones. Hazardous work: The minimum age for hazardous work is 18 years for both boys and girls. |
Worst Forms of Child Labour |
C. 182 has been ratified. | ||
Special attention to particular situations |
NIL | ||
Information/Data collection and dissemination |
NIL | ||
Prevention/Monitoring, enforcement and sanctions mechanisms |
NIL | ||
Involvement of the social partners |
NIL | ||
Promotional activities |
2008 AR: The GFBTU participated in the 5th ILO/Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Regional Seminar on the ILO Declaration and International Labor Standards (ILS) in Oman. 2007 AR: The Government, the BCCI and the GFBTU referred to their participation in the Fourth Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Regional Workshop on the ILO Declaration and International Labour Standards held in Kuwait City in April 2006. 2000 AR: According to the Government: Efforts to promote and realize the PR include: (i) Training and rehabilitation programmes for youth in particular providing them school materials; (ii) Promotion of the protection of the child in the public and private sectors; and (iii) Training programmes and awareness-raising campaigns on the PR by non-governmental institutions. | ||
Special initiatives/Progress |
NIL | ||
CHALLENGES IN REALIZING THE PRINCIPLE AND RIGHT |
According to the social partners |
Employers’ organizations |
2007 AR: According to the BCCI: There are very limited cases of child labour in Bahrain. |
Workers’ organizations |
2008 AR: The GFBTU reiterated the same challenges stated in the 2007 AR. 2007 AR: According to the GFBTU: Poor families need social protection in Bahrain. | ||
According to the Government |
2007 AR: The Government acknowledged that poor families need social protection in Bahrain. | ||
TECHNICAL COOPERATION |
Request |
2008 AR: Although child labour is not a serious issue in Bahrain, the GFBTU nonetheless requested ILO technical cooperation on the PR in order to raise awareness on its existence. 2007 AR: The BCCI requested ILO technical cooperation on the PR, in particular through public sensitization (TV programmes) on the issue of child labour. | |
Offer |
ILO | ||
EXPERT-ADVISERS’ OBSERVATIONS/ RECOMMENDATIONS |
2008 AR: The ILO Declaration Expert-Advisers (IDEAs) observed that the Annual Review had made it possible to highlight and follow up country situations that required greater attention, and that some countries, such as the Gulf States (as well as China and new member States, in particular in the South Pacific), had made important efforts during this process. However, according to them, more needed to be done. They also considered that universal ratification of the child labour Conventions was not a distant dream but an achievable goal, in view of the number of States, including Bahrain, having expressed their intention to ratify C.138 and/or C.182 (Cf. Paragraphs 12 and 56 of the 2008 Annual Review Introduction – ILO: GB.301/3). 2007 AR: The IDEAs noted the paucity of practical information of several reports, including the one of Bahrain, which complicated their task of assessing the extent to which the PR is realized in the countries concerned. They drew the attention of governments to the possibility of requesting technical assistance from the Office to facilitate fuller and more comprehensive reporting (Cf. Paragraph 52 of the 2007 Annual Review Introduction – ILO: GB.298/3). 2006 AR: The IDEAs noted the close relationship between free, available and adequate schooling and decreasing child labour, but were concerned to learn in this connection that in Bahrain the low age of 12 was the limit for compulsory schooling (Cf. Paragraph 58 of the 2006 Annual Review Introduction – ILO: GB.295/5). 2005 AR: The IDEAs noted with interest the continuing efforts made by the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (Cf. Paragraph 148 of the 2005 Annual Review Introduction – ILO: GB.292/4). 2004 AR: The IDEAs noted that the GCC States had been providing more information on freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, but not enough on the other three PRs. This would help to illustrate the link between all four PRs (Cf. Paragraph 85 of the 2004 Annual Review Introduction – ILO: GB.289/4). 2003 AR: The IDEAs commended Bahrain and other GCC States for their continuing dialogue with the Office through the annual review process (Cf. Paragraph 4 of the 2003 Annual Review Introduction – ILO: GB.286/4). 2002 AR: The IDEAs acknowledged the high-level dialogue and agreement on a plan of activities between the Office and the GCC Governments, including Bahrain (Cf. Paragraph 82 of the 2002 Annual Review Introduction – ILO: GB.283/3/1). 2001 AR: The IDEAs hoped in particular that the governments of GCC countries would continue a dialogue with the Office regarding the ways in which respect for fundamental principles and rights at work and positive changes could be achieved through technical cooperation (Cf. Paragraph 77 of the 2001 Annual Review Introduction – ILO: GB.280/3/1). | ||
GOVERNING BODY OBSERVATIONS/ RECOMMENDATIONS |
NIL | ||
1 Country baselines under the ILO Declaration Annual Review are based on the following elements to the extent they are available: information provided by the Government under the Declaration Annual Review, observations by employers’ and workers’ organizations, case studies prepared under the auspices of the country and the ILO, and observations/recommendations by the ILO Declaration Expert-Advisers and by the ILO Governing Body. For any further information on the realization of this principle and right in a given country, in relation with a ratified Convention, please see: www.ilo.org/ilolex
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