BAHRAIN: UPDATE OF WORST FORMS OF CHILD LABOR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 001234

SIPDIS

STATE PASS TO DOL/ILAB FOR TINA MCCARTER AND DRL/IL FOR
LAUREN HOLT

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELAB EIND ETRD PHUM SOCI BA
SUBJECT: BAHRAIN: UPDATE OF WORST FORMS OF CHILD LABOR
INFORMATION

REF: SECSTATE 143552


1. Embassy Manama's response to reftel follows. Answers are
keyed to reftel questions.


2. A. The Labor Law for the Private Sector of 1976, as
amended, establishes 14 years as the absolute minimum age for
employment in Bahrain. Both national and foreign workers are
covered by this law, although children working as domestics
and in agriculture and children who work in family-owned
enterprises that they will inherit are exempted from coverage
of most of the law. The Ministry of Labor grants and reviews
work permits for foreigners pursuant to Article 3, and such
permits may only be granted to persons 18 years of age and
older. The Labor Law for the Private Sector establishes
special requirements for the employment of children ages 14
to 16. Children ages 14 to 16 may not be employed in
hazardous conditions; may not work overtime or at night; may
not work on a piecework basis; and in any case may not work
for more than 4 consecutive hours or more than 6 hours per
day. They must also be granted annual leave of not less than
one full month, which they are not allowed to waive. Under
the Education Act, which was ratified by the King on August
15, 2005 school is compulsory for children ages 6 to 15.


3. A (continued). A subsidiary order enacted under the
provisions of the Labor Law for the Private Sector prohibits
children under the age of 16 from working in more than 25
hazardous professions, and sets a maximum allowable weight of
20 kilograms for children ages 14 to 16 to carry as part of
their work. In addition, such children must obtain
authorization from the Ministry of Labor and undergo a
medical examination prior to their admission to employment.
Forced or compulsory labor is also prohibited by the
Constitution, and the government effectively enforces this
prohibition. There is no compulsory military service in
Bahrain. The minimum age for enlistment in the Bahrain
Defense Force is 15 years.


4. A (continued). Prostitution is illegal under the Penal
Code, and encouraging a child less than 18 years of age to
enter into prostitution is punishable by two to 10 years of
imprisonment depending on the age of the victim. Bahraini
authorities sporadically enforce the laws against
prostitution. Child prostitution, procuring, and pimping is
unheard of. Violators are dealt with harshly and can be
imprisoned or, if the violator is a non-citizen, deported.
In some cases, authorities reportedly return children
arrested for illicit activities to their families rather than
prosecute them, especially for the first offense. Bahraini
law does not specifically prohibit trafficking in children,
but there are several statutes under which traffickers can be
prosecuted, including laws on kidnapping, forced
prostitution, and coercion.


5. A (continued). Bahrain ratified ILO Convention 182 on
March 23, 2001. In December 2003, the National Assembly
approved the UN Convention on International Organized Crime
and the optional Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish
Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children.


6. B. The Ministry of Labor is responsible for implementing
and enforcing child labor laws and regulations. The Labor
Law for the Private Sector provides for the inspection of
workplaces and for legal sanctions against employers found in
violation of child labor laws. Violators of the law or its
implementing regulations are subject to fines of not less
than 50 dinars (USD 133) and not more than 200 dinars (USD
530) for each occurrence and each worker. The same penalties
apply to any person acting as a guardian of a juvenile who
permits his or her employment in violation of the provisions.
The Ministry of Labor currently employs 17 labor inspectors
and is in the process of hiring 30 more. The inspectors
effectively enforce child labor legislation in the industrial
sector; however, child labor outside the industrial sector is
monitored less effectively.


7. C. The Constitution provides for free and compulsory
education at the primary levels. The majority of school-aged
children attend school. In 2001, 98.4 percent of boys were
enrolled in basic education and 97.5 percent of girls were
enrolled. The rules regarding compulsory education were not
always enforced, but under the new Education Act parents who
fail to send their children to school will face prosecution.
The government provides for school equipment, supplies, and
transportation and establishes separate schools for boys and
girls at all levels. In addition, the Government is working
to improve educational quality by hiring additional teachers,
reducing class sizes, and offering teacher training and
professional development courses for instructors. The
government has also established educational and vocational
training programs for school dropouts and has taken other
measures to encourage regular school attendance.

8. D. The government has developed a national plan of
action to eliminate the worst forms of child labor.


9. E. Statistics on the number of working children under
age 14 in Bahrain are unavailable, but reports indicate that
child labor is not widespread. Children reportedly work in
family businesses. In addition, small numbers of children
perform odd jobs in the Manama Central Market.

MONROE