by James Parks, Apr 21, 2011
The union movement around the world and in the United States is calling on the government of Bahrain to lift its state of emergency and halt its the all-out attack against union members.
The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) reports that thousands of workers have been dismissed for taking part in trade union activities in support of the peaceful calls for greater democracy and reform. More than 750 union members and half of the leaders of the General Federation of Bahraini Trade Unions (GFBTU) also have been dismissed from their jobs.
Bahrain is sliding into absolute dictatorship, the ITUC says, and the “elimination of trade union activity is being given a high priority by those in the ruling circles who intend to complete the transformation of the country into a totalitarian state.”
You can take action now. Join LabourStart’s campaign here and send a letter to Bahrain’s king demanding an end to the attacks. Or click here to join the Building and Wood Worker’s International (BWI) in demanding the reinstatement of the union workers.
In a letter April 15 to U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka called for “urgent political intervention…to stop [Bahrain’s] descent into dictatorship.” Trumka said he was concerned about the “intense and escalating attack” on the GFBTU. Trumka adds:
The trade union movement in Bahrain is critical to democratic and peaceful coexistence in a pluralistic society…The Department should demand of its counterparts an end to the extraordinary repression taking place at the doorstep of one of America’s largest military installations (U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet). Any lesser response to this crisis undermines our moral authority.
Also today, the AFL-CIO filed a complaint with the Office of Trade & Labor Affairs over the failure of Bahrain’s government to comply with its commitments under the U.S.—Bahrain Free Trade Agreement by repressing peaceful protests and the attacks on the GFBTU. Click here to read Trumka’s letter and here for the FTA complaint.
Finally, the International Labor Organization (ILO), an arm of the United Nations condemned the crackdown on union members and announced it is sending a high-level mission to Bahrain to discuss the situation in the country.
