MC/3 RECORD OF A MEETING BETWEEN SHEIKH KHALIFAH BIN-SULMAN BIN-MOHAMMED AL KHALIFA, BAHRAIN MINISTER OF LABOUR AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS, AND MR P JENKIN, SECRETARY OF STATE FOR SOCIAL SERVICES, IN BAHRAIN, 27 SEPTEMBER 1980 Also present: Mr H B Walker Mr M J Copson Mr D Brereton Mr S R Bonde HM Ambassador First Secretary (Commercial) DHSS, Private Secretary DHSS, IED 1. Sheikh Khalifa outlined the work of his Ministry in two areas; social development and social welfare. Social development was still mainly the concern of cooperatives in Bahrain and his Ministry so far had not become too involved. Much work in this area still had to be done. 2. Greater progress had been achieved in social welfare with work programmes for handicapped children and three centres for children already in operation. Three more were planned. The elderly were also an area of interest. Mr Jenkin stressed the great experience which had been built in the UK in this area and also in the care and rehabilitation of people suffering from industrial injuries. Some excellent British equipment in this field had been developed. HM Ambassador drew attention also to the valuable work of the charities in Bahrain, the Round Table and Rotary Clubs, on behalf of the handicapped for whom they had provided a bus and other benefits. Sheikh Khalifah acknowledged the value of the activitues of these and other voluntary bodies. 3. Discussion moved to the Arab Organisation for Labour which was trying to unify the laws in Arab Gulf States governing labour. Mr Jenkin suggested that there would be value in seeking to unify conditions for the employment of expatriates. 4. Sheikh Khalifa said that the ratio of expatriates employed in Bahrain was not a problem, as it was in the UAE and elsewhere. Nevertheless Bahrain was anxious to encourage the training of Bahrainis in technical skills, by the Government itself and by private companies. Major companies were encouraged to provide their own training centres by exemption from their statutory contribution (levied on all employers of more than 200 persons) to the Ministry vocational training programme. Many major contracts however needed large numbers of expatriate skills. The Causeway link with Saudi Arabia, when the contracts were decided in early 1981, would have a great impact in this area. Nonetheless the majority of Bahrainis were in favour of this development and did not fear any subsequent loss of independence. ewide S R BONDE IED2 RSQ Rm 113 Ext 3327 8 October 1980
