Right-handed shape
At a time when the decision of the Office of Filipino Migrant Workers began to be implemented, to raise the minimum wage for domestic workers to $500, the Philippine Embassy issued a circular in which it indicated that the decision would be implemented gradually and voluntarily within 6 months, while the President of the Bahrain Association of Domestic Workers Recruitment Offices, Mona Al-Mulla, confirmed that the contracts remain optional by the employer in whether or not to raise the wage.
The Philippine Embassy issued a circular regarding the start of implementation of the decision since last October 22, with a grace period of 6 months, and Al-Watan obtained a copy of it, issued by the Migrant Workers Office at the Philippine Embassy in Bahrain, as a guideline regarding the gradual implementation of the minimum monthly salary of $500 for Filipino domestic workers.
The circular stated that all Filipino domestic workers in Bahrain are instructed that the Migrant Workers Management Office will increase the minimum salary for all Filipino domestic workers traveling abroad from $400 to $500, or the equivalent of 150 dinars, to 187 dinars, starting October 22, 2025.
Regarding the gradual implementation, the decision explained that the wage increase will be implemented gradually and “voluntarily” within six months, indicating that a domestic worker whose contract was signed before October 22, 2025, with a salary of 150 dinars, can still travel outside the country during the six months, to allow for the gradual adjustment of domestic workers’ salaries.
There will be a gradual adjustment transition period of six months, from October 22, 2025 to April 22, 2026, and all existing contracts certified by the Migrant Workers Office before October 22, 2025 with a salary of $400 or 150 dinars will be honored, unless both parties agree and are prepared to comply with the new guidelines during the transition period.
Commenting on the circular, the head of the Bahrain Association of Domestic Workers Recruitment Offices, Mona Al-Mulla, said that this circular indicates the existence of a transitional period for gradual adjustment, after the previously specified date was last October 22. The decision also confirms that it is “voluntary,” which opens the door to choice and so that the decision remains optional for the employer.
The association contacted the Philippine Embassy in the Kingdom to stress the need to adhere to what was stated in the official clarifications that the decision is only voluntary, and not to take any measures that may be interpreted as mandatory or discriminatory towards offices that did not raise wages.
The president of the association called for unifying the Gulf position in dealing with such decisions in a way that preserves the interests of citizens and ensures the stability of the domestic labor sector in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. She also called on all offices and relevant parties to adhere to the current contracts that were signed according to the current wage of $400, and not to make any amendment except with the desire and agreement of both parties.
