Bahrain is to set up a pool of casual construction labour for contractors to draw from, instead of using illegal free-visa workers.

The move forms part of a six-month amnesty being offered to illegal workers, to legalise their status or leave the island. The amnesty, which runs until the end of December, aims to break the cycle of law-breaking that fuels the free visa market.

Illegal foreign workers will be allowed to take jobs under legal sponsors without release letters from previous sponsors, during the period.

Employers using illegal workers will also be allowed to apply to legalise them, said Labour and Social Affairs Minister Abdulnabi Al Shoala.

The permits will be granted by the Labour Ministry if the company satisfies the conditions for employing foreign workers.

Those who fail to legalise their stay during the grace period should leave the country, or else they will be subjected to penalties, he said. This means all workers should be working under their own sponsors after six months.

Al Shoala said construction companies currently illegally employing free visa workers would soon be able to find casual labour legally.

The idea is to float companies which will supply casual workers for specific jobs for specific periods.

Bahrain's contractors rely on expatriate labour largely from the Asian subcontinent, and the government has cracked down on them to hire more Bahrains, in a bid to ease unemployment and nationalise the country's workforce.

Small and medium contractors have said they need more time to recruit Bahrainis willing to work in the industry and who have their skills for the industry certified by the Bahrain Training Institute (BTI). The contractors have also urged the government to come up with realistic figures for unemployed nationals willing to work in the construction and excavation industry.