Gulf Daily News

Manama, Jun 25: Up to 3,000 workers in Bahrain could have lost their jobs as a result of the global credit crunch, it has been claimed. The country's labour unions will begin a "right to work" campaign tomorrow in a bid to pressure employers to reinstate those affected.

It will kick off outside the Central Bank of Bahrain from where thousands of protesters are expected to march to the Gulf Investment Bank (GIB) that dismissed 59 workers last month.

"While this was earlier planned to be predominantly a rally to ask for the re-instatement of GIB workers, we will now also use the opportunity to highlight the plight of nearly 3,000 workers - both expatriates and Bahrainis - who we believe have lost their jobs in the last few months," said General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions (GFBTU) spokesman Jaffer Khalil.

He was speaking after a Press conference addressed by GFBTU general secretary Syed Salman Al Mahfood at its headquarters in Adliya.

"While we believe about 3,000 people - more than half of them Bahrainis - have been sacked by their employers - only 273 have registered with us so far," he said.

"We are now urging all of them who have lost their jobs to come and report to us so that we can take up the matter on their behalf."

Mr Khalil said it had also come to their notice that some expatriates who had been sacked had been asked to return to their jobs at considerably reduced salaries.

"We urge them to think before they do it and report it to us," he said.

Mr Khalil said the GFBTU was preparing to send a letter to His Majesty King Hamad and Saudi monarch King Abdullah on the sacking of GIB employees, which he described as being "bad in law."

He said officials hoped the Saudi King would help since Saudi investors were the majority stakeholders in GIB.

The GFBTU also said they would soon set up a new committee to co-ordinate with the Labour Ministry on the sackings.

"The committee will also deal with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and other international bodies to brief them on what is going on in Bahrain," said Mr Khalil.

The GFBTU earlier sent letters to Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, CBB Governor Rasheed Al Maraj and Labour Minister Dr Majeed Al Alawi urging them to support their case.

"We have also enlisted the support of all labour unions in Bahrain who are expected to be represented in strength in tomorrow's rally," added Mr Khalil.

The rally begins at 4.30pm.