Over 240 Labour Disputes Filed by Bahraini Workers in Private Sector Amid Rising Dismissals

In the first half of the year, Bahraini workers in the private sector filed over 240 labour cases, according to a report from a labour union.

The General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions released its Private Sector Monitoring Report, covering January to June, which highlights the challenges faced by workers in various companies.

The report, published by the Gulf Daily News, indicates that 244 labour cases were addressed by courts or dispute committees during this period. These cases primarily involve dismissals of Bahraini workers due to various reasons.

Case distribution by month includes: 10 cases in January, 11 in February, 9 in March, 176 in April, 24 in May and 14 in June.

Among the cases, 198 were filed by men and 46 by women. Most cases -- around 173 --concerned commercial workers, followed by 30 from construction, 12 from manufacturing, 8 from service industries, and 5 from healthcare.

Other sectors included transportation and telecommunications (3 each), tourism, education, and hotels (3 each), with 2 complaints each from the financial and security sectors. No complaints were reported from the entertainment sector.

Hud Shamsan, the union’s assistant general secretary for the private sector, reported that 226 Bahraini workers have been dismissed this year. Reasons for dismissal include:

* Two workers let go due to probation failures (one in January and one in February).

* Three workers released after their contracts expired (one each in March, April, and June).

* Five workers dismissed without proper notice or compensation (two in February, one in April, and two in June).

* Four workers terminated for alleged incompetence (one each in February and April, and two in May).

* The majority of dismissals (168 workers) were due to company restructuring or closures (one in January, 159 in April, and eight in May).

* The remaining 44 cases involved alleged unlawful dismissals (seven in January, five in February, seven in March, 14 in April, three in May, and eight in June).

Former MP Salman Salem expressed concerns over the uncertainty faced by Bahraini employees, highlighting the stress and lack of security associated with temporary contracts.

He noted that some workers receive dismissals via text message, often with no prior warning, leading to additional distress.

The Labour Ministry reported that 29,533 citizens secured jobs through the National Employment Programme 2.0 last year, surpassing the goal of 25,000. Additionally, 11,078 citizens received job training, exceeding the target of 10,000.

According to the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), approximately 8,264 Bahrainis are receiving employment support, with 7,585 aged 18 to 35. About 11,257 Bahrainis are benefiting from career development support, with 8,253 in the 18 to 35 age group.The Labour Fund also supports 5,060 enterprises, 57% of which are small and medium enterprises.

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