AMBASSADOR'S FAREWELL CALL WITH MINISTER OF LABOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 000739

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/31/2012
TAGS: BA ELAB PHUM PGOV ECTRD HUMRIT OFFICIALS
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S FAREWELL CALL WITH MINISTER OF LABOR

REF: MANAMA 696

Classified By: Ambassador William T. Monroe for reasons 1.4 (b) & (d).


1. (C) Summary: During his farewell call with Minister of
Labor Dr. Abdelmajeed Al-Alawi on 30 July, the Ambassador
raised the recent firing of two union leaders at Bahrain
Telecommunications Company (BATELCO),the controversy
surrounding implementation of a new unemployment insurance
program, and the planned amnesty for illegal TCN workers. He
also engaged the Minister in a lively discussion on the
challenges facing Bahrain, including what the Minister views
as the dilemma of democratic and personal freedoms. Al-Alawi
labeled the BATELCO firings as "illegal" and made clear his
expectation that the employees in question would be
reinstated. He dismissed recent criticism of the
unemployment program from parliamentarians as a reaction to
"feeling the heat" from their constituents. He also
confirmed that the planned amnesty would go forward beginning
1 August and clarified that all TCN workers, including those
who entered on "visit" visas, could take advantage of the
amnesty by regularizing their work status or leaving Bahrain
without penalty. Regarding the challenge of reform, Al-Alawi
expressed his belief that the King is committed to pushing
the envelope, albeit gradually. End summary.


2. (C) The Ambassador asked Al-Alawi for his thoughts on how
the BATELCO case would play out and the Minister stated
authoritatively that the fired employees had been improperly
dismissed and would be reinstated. He noted that Executive
Order 62 banning strikes in certain, key sectors had been
used by the company to justify the sackings. According to
Al-Alawi, the employees in question did not engage in a
strike. Rather, they met to discuss union matters
off-the-clock, and had, in fact, worked an additional hour to
ensure that they had fulfilled their commitments. The
Minister was confident that the employees will be reinstated,
noting that it was within his discretion to revoke work
permits for all of BATELCO's expatriate staff if it were to
come down to a matter of coercion. Al-Alawi also stressed
that the company should not use the reinstatement as a
bargaining chip, but needed to right the wrong committed
against the union leaders.


3. (C) Regarding the recent public debate over the passage of
a 1 percent tax to fund a national unemployment insurance
program, Al-Alawi noted that the Council of Representatives
had approved the measure and that many of the
parliamentarians now critical of the law had voted in favor
of it. He attributed this to their "feeling the heat" from
constituents who don't understand the long-term benefits of
unemployment insurance, and likened the situation to the
introduction of pension contributions in 1976. Once people
began to avail themselves of the benefits of the pension
plans, they stopped complaining about the deductions from
their salaries. Al-Alawi expressed certainty that the
controversy would soon die down and regards the unemployment
insurance law as one of his most valuable accomplishments,
along with the amnesty and an order to stop work between the
hours of 12 and 4 pm during July and August when the heat
index can reach 140 F. (NOTE: The Ambassador raised this
issue at a later meeting with Shura Council Speaker Ali
Al-Saleh who had no doubts about implementation of the
program, though he did note that some lawmakers might seek to
introduce proposals to amend the law during the next session
of Parliament.)


4. (C) The Minister confirmed that the previously announced
amnesty for TCN workers in illegal status will begin 1 August
and run through 31 December. There had been concern
previously (reftel) whether the amnesty would be
comprehensive, or whether it would only cover those workers
who had at one time been in legal status. Al-Alawi cleared
up any confusion on the matter, stating that the amnesty
would cover all workers in illegal status, including those
who had arrived on "visit" visas and subsequently overstayed
to work in Bahrain.


5. (C) Noting that Al-Alawi is a Shi'a Minister (who spent
many years in exile in London),the Ambassador asked how the
Minister saw democratic reform playing out in Bahrain.
Al-Alawi responded that the King is committed to pushing
forward with democratic reforms at a sustainable pace. He
noted the difficulty in balancing democracy and personal
freedom and how too much democratic freedom too quickly can
ultimately result in fewer personal freedoms within a
society. The Ambassador agreed that it is vital to look at
democracy as a process, and the trick is to sustain progress
in a way that maintains buy-in from all elements in society.


6. (C) Comment: Confirmation of a comprehensive amnesty is
good news, particularly with respect to trafficking concerns.
By allowing all illegal workers to participate in, and
benefit from, the amnesty, the government is providing a path
for those most at risk of being exploited to step forward and
either regularize their status or return home without
financial or legal penalty.

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MONROE