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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. 
 
********************************************* ******** 
Visit Embassy Manama's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/manama/ 
********************************************* ******** 
MONROE