General Federation of Workers Trade Unions in Bahrain

Infobox Union
name= GFWTUB
country= Bahrain
affiliation= none
members=
full_name= General Federation of Workers Trade Unions in Bahrain
native_name=


founded= 2002
current=
head=
dissolved_date=
dissolved_state=
merged_into=
office=
people=
website=
footnotes=

The General Federation of Workers Trade Unions in Bahrain (GFWTUB) is a national trade union federation in Bahrain. It was established in 2002 when the King created the Workers Trade Union Law granting workers the right to organize collectively. [cite book
year = 2005
title = Trade Unions of the World
editor = ICTUR et al,
edition = 6th
publisher = John Harper Publishing
location = London, UK
id = ISBN 0-9543811-5-7]

The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions' Annual Survey 2005 highlighted: "Bahrain, a bright spot in an otherwise dismal landscape of persistent labour rights violations in the Middle East". [cite web
title=Bahrain, a bright spot...
work=ICFTU Online
url=http://www.icftu.org/displaydocument.asp?Index=991222886&Language=EN
accessdate=2006-10-17] According to the ICFTU:

:"Bahrain has set the standard for the Gulf region in terms of positive developments. The right to form trade unions has existed since 2002, although only one national trade union centre is recognised, and other rights are still limited. The General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions held its founding congress in January 2004 and in December became the first organisation in the Gulf States to become a member of the ICFTU. It has been actively involved in tripartite discussions, including on labour legislation." [cite web
title=Bahrain: Annual Survey of Violations of Trade Union Rights (2005)
work=ICFTU Online
url=http://www.icftu.org/displaydocument.asp?Index=991222248&Language=EN
accessdate=2006-10-17]

In October 2006, King Hamad signed a law banning the sacking of employees engaged in trade union activities. Under an amended law, the courts must reinstate a sacked worker and award them compensation if it is proved that they were sanctioned for such activities. [cite web
title=Sackings banned
work=Gulf Daily News
url=http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=159050&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=29211
accessdate=2006-10-16]

The King's move follows criticism by the ICTFU of the sacking in July 2005 of Gulf Air's trade union head shortly after his election.

The establishment of the Federation was part of a number of key labour reforms introduced under the Minister of Labour, Majeed Al Alawi.

References

Further reading

* [http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=158515&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=29206 ILO experts to launch labour market project ] Gulf Daily News, 12 October 2006
* [http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=158522&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=29206 Project to lay ground for labour reforms,] Gulf Daily News, 12 October 2006
* [http://www.icftu.org/displaydocument.asp?Index=991223920&Language=EN Bahrain: Annual Survey of Violations of Trade Union Rights (2006)] ICTFU, 6 January 2006
* [http://www.icftu.org/displaydocument.asp?Index=991219171&Language=EN Bahrain trade union movement shows the way for region] , ICTFU, 8 April 2004

Trade unions of Bahrain

* [http://www.batelcotu.bh/ Batelco Trade Union]
*Batelco wiki