Bahrain Mirror: The Secretary General of the General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions (GFBTU), Hassan Halwachi, warned from dividing major companies, or selling some of its services. In a speech he delivered Monday (May 1, 2017), during the annual ceremony commemorating Labor Day, Halwachi demanded the government to implement the tripartite agreement, with which the union signed, under the auspices of International Labor Organization. The agreement aims at returning all workers dismissed during the arbitrary wave of dismissal in 2011.

Halwachi noted in his speech that implementing the rest of the provisions from the tripartite agreement needs the reactivation of the tripartite commission, which has been suspended since the last session.

Moreover, Halwachi referred to the issue of labor representation in the Social Insurance Organization (SIO), which was frozen in a clear violation of the law. He said that the union has raised names to be stated in those position, but he has not yet received any response to that. Therefore, he stressed that any decision made by the SIO in the absence of labor representatives are not valid.

Regarding news circulated about the authorities' intension to divide some of the major companies, wholly or partly owned by the state, to terminate employment contracts or sell some of their services and divisions, could be dubbed privatization of the industrial public sector. According to Halwachi, that the said companies introduced a level of decent work and wages, with privileges enjoyed by the national workforce for a long time. He reiterated rejection to operation to divide these companies without genuine consultation and participation in the decision-making with trade unions.

Furthermore, Halwachi pointed out the cases of salary delays and deprivations for Bahraini and migrant workers. He asserted that protecting labor wages needs measures such as insurance.

GFBTU Secretary General said that today there is an urgent need for the establishment of an economic council for the tripartite sides, in order to find solutions for unemployment and other problems in a unified vision.

On another note, Halwachi criticized the draft Bahranization system and flexible work permit system, which allows foreign labor legal residence in the country through temporary work permits in any career that does not require a professional permit.

Arabic version