Bahrain Mirror: The General Federation of Workers Trade Unions in Bahrain (GFWTUB) refused any act of spending the unemployment funds on anything other than the fields they're allocated to and using them for objectives other than what the Fund was established for.

This came in a statement issued by the Federation on March 18, 2019, in which it stressed that those who made the decision to propose the voluntary retirement program should be responsible for its financial consequences, as workers should not bear any of its financial effects or have their rights compromised.

In its statement, the Federation asserted that there was constitutional suspicion regarding the proposed amendments to the Unemployment Insurance Act, reminding that the legislative authority of its responsibility towards these amendments, and stressing that adoption such amendments would weaken citizens' trust in the legislative authority.

The Federation said that "the wrongful disposition of these funds is tantamount to taking from those who do not have and giving to those who do not deserve," expressing fear that the passing of these amendments will open the door for the disbursement of any other funding program for irrelevant purposes.

The Federation reminded that the voluntary retirement program implemented in the public sector had never been subject to consultations among the three production parties. It said that the Federation questioned the funding sources of the program and whether it would affect the assets of the trust funds, thus the GFWTUB considered that whoever made the decision has to bear responsibility for its financial ramifications, and workers should bear no financial consequences or any consequences affecting their rights. The Federation, for the sake of labour rights and interests, categorically refuses any act to undermine or spend the money of the Unemployment Fund in the non-earmarked areas and for objectives other than for which it was established.

It went on to say that "The legislative authority in the Kingdom of Bahrain faces a historic responsibility towards these amendments, because their adoption and passage will inevitably weaken citizens' trust in this legislative authority and its way of exercising the power of legislation, and dealing with the issues of citizens, especially the cases which directly affect their livelihoods, such as addressing unemployment, especially since the Fund's money is earmarked to alleviate the suffering of citizens in distress, while providing them with decent work opportunities. It further stated that the improper disposition of these funds is tantamount to taking from those who do not have and giving to those who do not deserve, since it is known that the unemployment fund deducts its savings from the wages of Bahraini employees.  

Arabic Version