DHL in talks over row with drivers in Bahrain
A six-year dispute between DHL management and its truck drivers in Bahrain is based on complaints that the drivers’ contracts are “ambiguous”.
A six-year dispute between DHL management and its truck drivers in Bahrain is based on complaints that the drivers’ contracts are “ambiguous”.
Gulf Daily News (GDN) reported that Labour Minister Dr Majeed Al Alawi had now stepped in to try to bring the long-running saga to an end.He met DHL Middle East, North Africa and Turkey managing director Garry Kemp in an attempt to reach a compromise.
Kemp told the GDN that talks were ongoing in an effort to come up with a contract that complied with Bahraini labour laws, while taking into account the needs of employees and management.
“The dispute is something that dates back to 2003,” he said.”It was not a major one, it was about the contract as it was ambiguous and could be interpreted in different ways.”
He admitted the company needed to update its contracts to make them clear.”For example, we need to state clearly in the contract if a truck driver gets paid a full day’s salary when he is driving outside Bahrain,” he added.
Kemp said DHL asked the ministry for its support in drafting the new contracts.
Meanwhile, General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions (GFBTU) secretary-general Salman Mahfoodh said the organisation was following the case.
