Civil service rejects one-month Haj leave plan.

Byline: Habib ToumiBureau Chief

Manama Bahrain's Civil Service Bureau has turned down a proposal to give one month's salary to public sector employees planning to go on pilgrimage.

The proposal clashed with regulations governing holidays and days off in the public sector. Very importantly, it added privileges and advantages to the government sector, which would make it much more attractive than the private sector to people applying for jobs, a spokesperson for the Civil Service Bureau said.

The proposal, submitted by an MP, was subsequently rejected by the Services Committee at the lower house.

Accepting the proposal would widen the gap between public and private sector employees, especially that there are now efforts to narrow down differences to boost employment opportunities, the committee said.

Would-be pilgrims, regardless of their nationalities, currently are given 14 days' paid leave to perform Haj.

The holiday is given only once to any Muslim employed for at least two years.

The government had suggested 10 days' paid leave after five years of employment, but the lower house in March voted to bring it down to two years and to increase the leave to two weeks.

The labour ministry and labour funds have been facing formidable resistance from Bahraini job-seekers to get them enrolled in the private sector where they will have to work six days a week instead of five and longer hours and will have less official holidays.

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