In June, workers of two contracting companies in Manama staged separate protests over unpaid salaries. They also marched towards the Labour Court demanding strict action from the part of authorities.

Speaking to Medai, a labourer employed by a contracting company, said, “We, a group of 120 labourers, working at a construction site in Zallaq, haven’t been paid for almost a year now.” “We worked for over 16 hours a day to complete various projects on time, but never received any money for our hard work.” He said there are many in the group who don’t even have proper visas. “The company kept on telling us that our dues would be paid. But nothing happens. We are stuck in the Kingdom with no food to eat.” The labourer said most often company officials don’t give proper response to their pleas.

Another labourer, an Indian expat said, back home the families of labourers are living in extreme poverty. “We would work in extremely tough conditions and at times we only got 15 minutes of lunch break. I lost my son a few months back. Neither could I visit my home nor I had the money to pay for his medical bills,” he lamented. “We are left here with no money and no food.”

Though the trade unions in Bahrain pledged support to labourers, who work allegedly without being paid in the Kingdom, the unionists are finding it difficult to have a proper communication channel with these workers as they don’t belong to any trade unions. “Only two companies in the construction sector are unionised. How can we address the issues faced by these workers?”

General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions (GFBTU) assistant secretary for international relations, Karim Radhi was quoted. “There is no proper communication channel between the labourers and the companies.

Manama's court ordered the expat employees to pay fines ranging from $1,061 to $1,591 for heaping losses on the firm by violating their contracts.Meny expat workers have been prevented from returning home by an unresolved bans imposed on them over wages dispute in Bahrain.