An urgent warning has been issued by municipal councillors amidst mounting evidence of shop workers sleeping inside their workplaces, raising fears of fire hazards, health risks and violations of municipal and labour regulations.
Southern Municipal Council chairman Abdulla Abdullatif said several councillors had received complaints that expatriate employees were spending the night in commercial outlets ranging from restaurants and cafés to bakeries, laundries, department stores, bookshops and stationery shops.
“People have seen workers close the shutters at night, disappear inside and only open them again the next morning,” said Mr Abdullatif.
“This is real danger, and workers could be exposed to accidents and disasters.”
He highlighted several incidents reported by residents, including one where a customer entered a laundry shop and found a worker asleep on an ironing table. In another case, a restaurant employee was discovered resting on a makeshift cushion placed atop a freezer.
“Someone also reported a worker sleeping on a butchering shop table, but no photographs were provided as the individual feared retaliation from other sellers,” he said.
“This is not during lunch breaks – even then, such behaviour is not acceptable. What if a fire breaks out or an explosion occurs? The consequences could be catastrophic.”
Mr Abdullatif emphasised that the problem was not confined to commercial businesses.
He referred to a disclosure made in Parliament last month by Education Minister Dr Mohammed Mubarak Juma, who revealed that workers in some private schools were even sleeping inside classroom facilities – a practice that shocked MPs and raised serious safety and regulatory concerns.
In response, the council is preparing a joint action plan with several government entities, including the Health Ministry, Industry and Commerce Ministry, Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Ministry, Interior Ministry and the Labour Market Regulatory Authority. The co-ordinated effort will involve surprise inspection campaigns targeting businesses suspected of using premises as makeshift accommodation.
Laundries, bakeries and supermarkets are filled with industrial machines, chemicals and storage units that could endanger the lives of workers and the public if misused or obstructed.
“We cannot wait for a disaster to happen,” Mr Abdullatif said. “These workplaces are simply not designed for sleeping or living. It is irresponsible, unsafe and unlawful.”
He emphasised that the council’s role is to safeguard communities by ensuring commercial outlets comply with safety regulations and that workers are provided with proper living conditions.
“We want to protect everyone – the workers themselves, the business owners and members of the public,” Mr Abdullatif said.
“This behaviour cannot continue.”
Southern Municipal Council financial, administrative and legislative committee chairman Ali Al Shaikh echoed the concerns, stressing that strict enforcement was needed to prevent a catastrophe.
“The outcomes could be disastrous if this is left unattended,” he said. “We are not being harsh in applying the rules, we are preventing a disaster.”
Mr Al Shaikh noted that these violations raise serious concerns about bogus registered addresses, suggesting that some workers may be listed as living in locations that are not intended for habitation.
“If workers sleep in their workplaces, then there is an issue of fake registered addresses that must be addressed,” he said.
“The situation is alarming and action will be taken with the relevant authorities.”
Councillors stressed that the issue is not merely administrative but deeply tied to public safety and basic human dignity.
“Restaurants and cafés contain gas cylinders, electrical equipment, ovens and flammable materials – all potential hazards, if left unattended or misused outside operating hours,” he added.
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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