· May, 2008

Stories about Labor from May, 2008

Bahrain: Sectarian and Xenophobic

“It seems that Bahrain (as in government and MPs) are just not content with being called sectarian but are now adding a new adjective to their resume- xenophobic,” writes Bahraini blogger Yagoob, after MPs called for banning Bangladeshis from working in Bahrain.

Bahrain: Ban on Bangladeshis

Following a tragic incident a few days ago, when a Bahraini was killed after he refused to pay a Bangladeshi mechanic the 500 fils (1.3 USD) extra he was demanding for a job, Bahrain has now stopped issuing work permits to Bangladeshi nationals. A group of MPs are planning to submit a proposal to parliament to expel all Bangladeshi workers, who might be as many as 90,000, from the country because allegedly they commit more ‘shocking and gruesome crimes‘ than any other community.

Lebanon: “Unsung heroes”

“Another, silent army has deployed, clad in bright green: the Sukleen cleaners. Many come from India, Bangladesh, or Sri lanka, and they are here, in the middle of this conflict, to clean the Beiruti's mess,” writes Rami Zurayk about the garbage collectors in Beirut.

Caucasus: Subjective Well-being

Social Science in the Caucasus, the blog of the Caucasus Resource Research Centers, looks at the the subjective well-being of citizens living in all three South Caucasus republics. Although the data used for the survey is from 2006, the survey finds that the impact of poverty and unemployment is more...

Egypt: You've Been Punk'd

Egyptian blogger Tarek says: “Egyptians, you've been punk'd,” following news that Egypt's parliament endorsed Monday a government bill to raise taxes and fuel prices less than a week after President Hosni Mubarak announced a 30 per cent salary increase for all government employees.

Kuwait: The Blind Leading the Blind

From Kuwait, Desert Girl writes about a website which tells expatriates what to expect in countries they will be moving to. She comments: “I think a lot of newcomers are being misinformed by well-intentioned people that don't really understand. It is a matter of the blind-leading-the-blind.”