Pay cuts not a way to combat crisis - Mideast professionals

The majority of professionals in the Arab and Gulf region disapprove of pay cuts as a means for organisations to combat the ongoing economic crisis.

According to an online poll conducted by website Bayt.com, 55 percent opposed pay cuts. Yet, more than one-third respondents (36 percent) considered pay cuts to be a good idea.

Bayt.com is a leading job site in the Middle East.

But as many as 59 percent of the professionals believe that encouraging temporary work contracts is the best response to the downturn.

Responding to a question on whether extending work hours and increasing responsibilities of the existing human resource was a good response to the crisis, the majority of respondents, 54 percent disagreed. However, 37 percent were positive on these measures.

Professionals prescribed that a change in laws and regulations in their country of residence would be an effective and an important action taken by policymakers. Around 14 percent  said this was necesary, followed by private sector productivity increases (12 percent) and more government transparency (11 percent).

Last week, Bahrain said that it would scrap its existing sponsorship system for foreign workers in the hope of reducing its need for foreign labour.

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