Unions oppose ban on strikes
By TARIQ KHONJI
Published: 23rd November 2006
UNION leaders yesterday pledged to demand that the new parliament change an order banning strikes at “vital facilities”. They say that it takes away workers’ most powerful tool against unjust employers.
The workers’ representatives say that the edict issued by Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa this week is against International Labour Organ-isation (ILO) standards and agreements that Bahrain has entered into.
General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions (GFBTU) vice secretary-general Sayed Salman Jaffer Al Mahfooz said workers should have been consulted before it was passed.
Unions oppose ban on strikes
By TARIQ KHONJI
Published: 23rd November 2006
UNION leaders yesterday pledged to demand that the new parliament change an order banning strikes at “vital facilities”. They say that it takes away workers’ most powerful tool against unjust employers.
The workers’ representatives say that the edict issued by Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa this week is against International Labour Organ-isation (ILO) standards and agreements that Bahrain has entered into.
General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions (GFBTU) vice secretary-general Sayed Salman Jaffer Al Mahfooz said workers should have been consulted before it was passed.
“This shows that there isn’t a real partnership among all stakeholders and no dialogue,” he said.
“Since the edict involves workers, it should have taken into consideration their opinions.”
He said the federation would seek to lobby parliament to amend the current law, which allows the Prime Minister to specify the industries and organisations whose employees cannot strike.
The edict bans strikes in places related to security, civil defence, airports, seaports, hospitals, health centres and pharmacies.
It also applies to all means of transport involving people or merchandise, telecommunications, electricity, water, bakeries, educational establishments and oil and gas facilities.
Mr Al Mahfooz said he didn’t understand why places like bakeries were included or why a disruption in their services would affect national security of the daily course of people’s lives.
“Even airport strikes shouldn’t be banned in their entirety, only the parts that are vitally important, like the control tower,” he said
Batelco Trade Union president Maki Isa added his voice to the criticism, stating he and his colleagues were against this law from the start.
“Strikes are an important tool that should be used as a last resort. Without strikes, what other options are there?” he asked.
“The Batelco Trade Union believes strikes are an option, but not the prime option.”
Mr Isa said most of the information in the new edict wasn’t new and he feels that this is an attempt by the government to emphasise these points.
Bapco Trade Union official spokesman Hameed Al Rashid said he hoped the new parliament would amend current laws, which he says are extremely unfair to workers.
“The new parliament should legalise trade unions for government employees and change this current law which prevents us from striking,” he said.
“I think that the reason this edict has been issued at this time is because unions at Alba, Bapco, Batelco and other companies have been asking for higher salaries and more benefits.”
A Labour Ministry statement issued yesterday defended the edict and the labour law, saying the Premier’s edict was in line with the amended trade unions law of 2006.
“The amended law gave the Prime Minister the authority to issue an edict specifying vital facilities where demonstrations are banned,” it said.
The ministry said the law also defined vital facilities, to include areas where demonstrations would harm national security or create a disturbance in the daily lives of citizens.
“In fact, there is nothing new in this edict, since the vital facilities have already been mentioned in Article 21 of the trade unions law,” it said.
“However, it was decided that these vital facilities should be specified with an edict from the Prime Minister so it would be easier to amend instead of amending the law, which requires long and complicated procedures.”
It said Bahrain was not a signatory to any ILO agreement that concerns strikes and others that exist also allow local authorities to specify where strikes aren’t legal.
“Also, the vital facilities banned in the edict did not breach any foreign or Arab laws,” said the ministry.
“The edict is also in line with the relevant provisions in the Constitution as well as international labour standards.”
“It is important to point out that the amendments to the trade union law and labour law were praised by international and Arab labour organisations, including the ILO.”
It said Bahrain was the first country in the region to even have a unions law.
“The law also allows courts to order the reinstatement of workers who were sacked for union activities,” said the ministry.
In the statement, the ministry extended an invitation to the GFBTU to hold a meeting to discuss their views on the issue.
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