PRESENT economic challenges will be the focus of a meeting of a major trade union federation next month.
Social security and trade union rights will also be discussed at the general assembly of the General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions (GFBTU) to be attended by representatives from international and regional trade federations.
The three-day forum, scheduled for March 5 to 7 at the Crowne Plaza, Bahrain will elect GFBTU’s 15-member executive committee for 2016-2020.
Workshops on social security, trade union rights and challenges of the present economic era will be held on the second day of the forum, GFBTU spokesman Karim Radhi told the GDN.
“The topics are quite relevant to the present times, the most important challenge being the withdrawal of the welfare state,” he said.
Deconstruction
“For decades people in Bahrain and the Gulf have enjoyed free health care, education and subsidised essential goods.
“Now this is being deconstructed which puts a big challenge on the trade union movement to get compensation from wages and allowances in money or kind from the employer.
“Another important challenge is to gain the right to unionism in the government sector which is prohibited now.
“We have sent invites to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Arab Labour Organisation (ALO) and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) apart from other Arab and international organisations and trade unions, including the American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Organisations (AFL-CIO).
“We are waiting for confirmation from them, which includes ITUC secretary-general Sharan Burrow. The speakers will be finalised after we hear from them,” said Mr Radhi.
Election
The federation’s third assembly since its inception in 2004 will also feature the election of its new executive committee on the final day.
“This is the third congress of GFBTU – the founding congress was in 2004, followed by the first in 2008 and then in 2012,” said Mr Radhi.
The GFBTU has more than 60 trade unions covering close to 15,000 members under its umbrella, but only trade union heads can nominate themselves to contest seats on the GFBTU board.
GFBTU members who want to take part in the general assembly should make sure their documents are up to date at the organisation’s headquarters in Adliya where they can also find out more about the board election and nominations
process.
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