Soman Baby/Gulf Daily News

Manama, Aug 16: A final agreement on labour and manpower co-operation between Bahrain and India will be signed in October, it has been revealed.

Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi has been invited by Labour Minister Dr Majeed Al Alawi to sign the agreement in Bahrain.

The Indian minister will visit Bahrain in October, after Ramadan, said Indian Ambassador Balkrishna Shetty.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) on labour and manpower between the two countries was first signed in the presence of the two ministers during Dr Al Alawi's visit to India earlier this year.

The signing ceremony was held at Kerala's tourist resort Kumarakom.

Mr Shetty said the meeting in October would result in signing the final agreement, which would further protect the welfare of Indian workers in Bahrain.

"It will also help ensure the smooth flow of workers from India to Bahrain as per the requirements of the Kingdom," he said.

"The agreement will cover a clause to ensure that the right person is recruited for the right job, with proper salary.

"Workers thus recruited should add value to the labour market and the Bahraini economy. It also helps enhance productivity in all sectors."

Another highlight of the agreement will be provision for joint recruitment and training of workers by both countries, said Mr Shetty.

Dr Al Alawi met Mr Ravi in Abu Dhabi during a conference of labour exporting and receiving countries, prior to their meeting in India.

Mr Ravi then stressed the need for Bahrain to sign the agreement, as other Gulf countries including the UAE, Kuwait and Oman had already signed similar agreements.

"The agreement will go a long way in reducing the number of exploitations of the workers by unscrupulous recruiting agents," he added.

Mr Shetty said the signing of such an agreement is significant at a time when both Bahrain and India have implemented major labour reforms.

"When Bahrain has implemented the reforms through the Labour Market Regulatory Authority, India has initiated labour reforms as part of its e-Governance," he said.