Gulf Air : Unemployment Insurance

[boeingdriverx]

Just checking my June payslip and what do I see : UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE 16BD ...

Is this a joke or what?

Anyone has more about this subject?

I wish at least somebody in this wonderful organisation warned me before taking money from me!

BD

PS: I had the 200BD increase in Basic Salary...

[ironbutt57]

It's a govt mandate... 1% of your basic for all persons employed in Bahrain, ALL persons...GF apparently fought it til the last possible moment with no success...and the poor folks in payroll at the palace until the wee hours sorting it out....a measure was announced by the powers that be in govt to institute a prolicy/procedure to return it to the employee when they terminate their employment in BAH provided they dont avail themselves of this facility....

[CI100]

That means no child support then........give 12.5 BD per child and take 16.8 back.

[boeingdriverx]

Touk
that's exactly my point !

[jackbauer]

Wake up will ya! It's been common knowledge all over Bah for months, and it was mentioned at the pilots meetings. Does not just affect GF but everyone who works in Bah. If you check your contract it says "tax free salary" so maybe you could challenge it from that angle.

[Desert Diner]

"Tax Free" means free from Bahraini Income Tax, nothing more and nothing less. And until Bahrain institutes an Income Tax, even only for guest workers, that will continue to be a true statement.

[Dessert Aviator]

It's Government theft pure and simple!! do you think any expat, lowly manual worker or lofty banker will get one fils back, not a Damn!!! There won't even be a mechanism in place to provide recompense. Just cancel your resident visa and away you go.
If the BAH gov can afford an A380 on top of the B747 they don't need to be robbing us.
How do you think they are paying our "increase", they are not you are!!:ugh:

[LOC STAR]

Personally I think this one of the ongoing failures of the Bahrain Government, for your kind info 1% is being the Min to reach a Max of 8 % under the sole discretion of the Government. :rolleyes:

[Stratosphere6000]

Hey DesertM2005 go get your definition of TAX and the implication of TAX FREE salaray correct. Generally TAX means money which you are forced to pay. TAX FREE generally means free of ALL taxes

There are many diferrent taxes so tax free salary means free of all taxes not soley income tax as you have interpretted it..........

[boeingdriverx]

jackbauer:
sorry I don't do roadshows ... !

[Desertia]

Of course it's a bloody tax!
Now, on the bright side - depending on who you work for.
In my company they tell you in your contract that your indemnity is calculated on your basic salary only, and excludes any allowances you might get.
GOSI, on the other hand, who decree what the 1% is based on, actually do include these allowances.
Which means a fair chance that when you come to pick up your EOS, you can reasonably argue that it should be based on what GOSI call your earnings.
Also remember you have one year after you leave to file a case in labour court for what you might be owed. Time to start finding labour lawyers willing to do a no-win no-fee deal for you (and I believe there's a few that will when they see how obvious this one is <heh>).
Of course if you haven't been around long ignore this message :)

[Desert Diner]

Where the h*$$ have you rubes been?

They start charging you a 1% fee and you're calling it taxation?

You want taxes? Think about what you would be paying back home. For those of us from the good ole US of A, there is no such thing as tax free, no matter where you call home at the moment.

People actually think that life is cheap in the ME? In your dreams.

As for taxation. Wait till they actually start taxing you on your income. There was talk about doing just that to guest workers (at 10%) in Saudi a few years ago. It will happen sooner or latter gents.

[Desertia]

When they tried it in the US they abandoned it almost immediately and fired the man that announced it - they had more resignation letters and request for packers than they could handle.

It may not have the immediate effect here, but you can bet that people will look at packages being offered and wonder how quickly they will get eroded.

Salaries in Bahrain don't match Saudi because it's more of a hardship posting. But as Bahrain goes back into the Islamic dark ages, and the value in staying here diminishes, they are going to have to start upping the ante or they will seriously struggle to get people.

We here in the petrol factory are having Indian mid-level engineers turn down BD1500 a month ++ because they can earn that in Delhi!

[Sal-e]

I just find it funny that when a system is put into place to screw us, it is done expeditiously and with absolute ease. If it were to help us, the bureacracy, conferences, deliberations, parliamentary processes, royal decree etc etc etc involved to pass is through is absolutely incredible. The perfect case in point is the recent payrise which will take four months from mention to full implementation. I didn't see this unemployment insurance come. It just sort of rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.....WHACK.....hit me on the head!!

[Icarus]

Doesn't take long to get anything through Parliamant here:

Speaker: First on the Agenda a proposal for a 1% tax on workers to fund the Unemployed. All those in favour say 'Aye'

House: (Silence)

Speaker: Second on the Agenda a proposal for a 1% tax on workers to fund the Unemployed (MP's exempted). All those in favour say 'Aye'

House: Aye

Speaker: Approved. Next on the agenda, one hour for tea and ball scratching! All those in favour.....

[Desertia]

Well as most of their constituents are unemployed Shia layabouts, it's no surprise they are saying yes to giving them free money to doss about.

It's a government attempt at stopping the rioting without having to pay for it out of their winnings, plain and simple.

I can't wait for the lazy f**kers to go on strike for more unemployment benefit - you can bet it will happen!

[boeingdriverx]

I am willing to pay taxes if:

- they build a road in front of my building and everywhere else

- they start collecting everyday the trash who is usually flying around

- they provide us with good emergency services (and dont let us die in a car crash caused by a drunk driver from the neighbouring countries...)

- they provide at least a FREE good and fair health system

- they provide at least a FREE good and fair education system

- they provide us with good PUBLIC SERVICES like Bus Transport, Mail Service...

.....

I agree it is always painful to pay taxes but don't forget that in most of our countries we get all these services for free or at a discounted price...

My point here is that I might never have any kind of service against these 16BD I am now paying every month. I am even not speaking about claiming it back, is this possible ?
BD

[NO FD NO SRS]

I can't wait for the lazy f**kers to go on strike for more unemployment benefit - you can bet it will happen!
You are right Derertia.
this is a political decision. Now the question is, if I loose my job as an expat, DO I BENIFIT FROM THIS SCHEME?
MPs, Police, Army are exempted. most of private sectors are compensating their employees by giving them 1 percent back.

[Desert Diner]

Well as most of their constituents are unemployed Shia layabouts, it's no surprise they are saying yes to giving them free money to doss about.

It's a government attempt at stopping the rioting without having to pay for it out of their winnings, plain and simple.

I can't wait for the lazy f**kers to go on strike for more unemployment benefit - you can bet it will happen!


How long have you been there?

[boeingdriverx]

Let's all send an email to BN, notifying him that we disagree with this Tax. As per my contract I should enjoy a 'tax free salary' so if we have to pay these 16BD, Gulf Air MUST simply increase our basic by another 16BD to compensate for this and we could call it the TAX ALLOWANCE !

[ironbutt57]

My original contract has a "tax free" paragraph regarding taxes, and also a "disclaimer" "Although no changes are expected in the tax laws, the Company cannot give undertaking in this regard"....:confused:

[boeingdriverx]

yes good one IB, I forgot that clause!

then we are screwed !

[soggyblonde]

To Jackbauer,
It's not a tax. Its classed as insurance deduction. You know, just in case you become unemployed in Bahrain. If you do and can prove that you have a skill Bahrain wants, you can claim unemployment benifits here in Bahrain. YIPPEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:}:ok:

[Spirit]

But then again: If you master a skill Bahrain wants, why on earth would you be unemployed?

[soggyblonde]

To Spirit,
The way things are going at the moment we could all be out of a job. And if we have skills we can claim unemployment benifits. Wouldn't that be fummy, all of GF becoming a bunch of DOLE BLUDGERS!!!!:p

[Chuck Y]

Some other companies in Bah are paying the 1% on behalf of their employees.

[soggyblonde]

Chuck Y,
Can you ever see GF paying the 1% for us. If they did that some manager at GF would have to take a small pay cut. I sure these is a manager there who does does not mind taking a pay cut.:eek:

[REACH-69]

I think Ameena Sh*** HR won't mind taking a pay cut as long as she gets a new position ,because at the end of the day that money will be back dated someway or another:ok:

[boeingdriverx]

I read in the GDN, that DHL employees got a salary increase to cover this new insurance ...

Food for thoughts ?

BD

[Icarus]

Courtesy of the DHL Union presure, rather stronger than the limp footed GF Union.

[soggyblonde]

I don't think it's their feet that are limp, I think it is something to to far up from the foot. (past the knee but below their fat guts):}

[boeingdriverx]

I heard some strong rumours (directly from one of our 'Acting' Manager) recently about a new salary increase?

Ok this is a rumor network so I shoot:

'400 to 600 bd on the basic salary'

comments ?
BD

PS: this will offset the cost of our new insurance ?!

[CI100]

I heard the same, but I was told 300BD for sure, but waiting on approval of 500BD.

PLUS

Unemployment insurance deduction will be 8%.

[Dessert Aviator]

I have also heard the rumours of a pay rise on the "package". I think it's too little too late for most people. Money is not the only factor in driving people away from GF. :\

[vomit comet]

hello :E Dessert Aviator,i dont think we r getting a pay rise any time soon,there has been talk of that but nothing will come out until maybe september and it will take effect in october but knowing gf and are excellent management especially that whore running hr! they will wait until the whole thing implodes!:{

[Chuck Y]

It's all way too late my friends. We still need to see some signs for the future. It's not just purely about pay now. It's about whether we will be in the same next year & the year after & the year after that. I for ! cannot take this chaos anymore. Time for somebody in this country to show proper leadship & vision for this company.

[Ray Darr]

Wow. It sure looks like that "start-of-the-slippery-slope" 1% "rip-into-ALL-the-workers" tax was sure needed to save that country, huh? Read on...

Bahrain has achieved a budget surplus of BD141,587,166.

This was revealed at yesterday's Cabinet session chaired by Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa.

http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/1yr_arc_Articles.asp?Article=183383&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=30069&date=5-28-2007

...kinda makes yer blood boil, doesn't it? Vote with your feet.

Cheers,
R.D.