Batelco sackings are condemned
by mahmood on 20/07/07 at 12:34 pm · email · print
Human rights activists yesterday condemned Batelco’s sacking of two union officials, saying it breached an international United Nations convention which Bahrain ratified only this week.
Acting trade union chairman Majed Suhrab and union research and development committee head member Faisal Ghazwan were dismissed on Wednesday, after organising wildcat rallies to demand a 25 per cent pay rise for staff.
Bahrain Human Rights Society assistant general secretary Dr Abdulla Al Derazi yesterday rapped the Batelco decision.
He said Trade Union Law Number 48 for 2006 forbids strikes in ‘sensitive places’, but he said this was a vague term that was easily exploited.
“What is sensitive,” asked Dr Al Derazi.
“Workers strike at Heathrow (airport) in the UK – that’s a very sensitive place. But they still have the right to strike.”
He urged the Bahraini government to better define and enforce its laws, pointing to the UN International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights.
Bahrain acceded to the covenant on Monday after the move was ratified by Deputy King Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
Its articles call for equal pay for equal work, non-discrimination and maternity benefits for women in the workplace, the provision of safe and healthy work environments and the right to strike and join trade unions, among other things.
The treaty had previously been discussed and approved by parliament and the Shura Council.
Mr Al Derazi said that according to the covenant, workers have “the right to strike, provided that it is exercised in conformity with the laws of the particular country”.
This deliberately compromising language is a feature of all international treaties, he said, but additional protocols and amendments are often added to ensure the treaties are effective.
Bahrain has unfortunately opted out of ratifying the additional protocols of the covenant, he said.
Angry workers took part in wildcat rallies at the company’s headquarters in Hamala to demand a 25pc rise for staff on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Trade union officials earlier complained that 100 Batelco staff were being paid only BD250 with no benefits and that more than 30 workers had been on contracts for more than three years.
They said their demands were reasonable given the fact that the company this week announced net profits of BD52 million for the first half of the year.
Dismissal
The dismissal of Mr Suhrab and Mr Ghazwan’s came after they issued an ultimatum to Batelco giving it a week to respond to their demands.
Mr Suhrab’s termination letter said he had been warned several times not to stage rallies inside or outside the company and his actions were considered an attempt to “paralyse” its facilities.
Union officials said more than 1,000 workers had taken part in the rallies over two days.
GDN – 20 July, ’07
