Protesting workers demand reinstatement in Bahrain

Bahraini workers sacked over the unrest on Tuesday took to the streets near the labor ministry building in Isa town to demand their reinstatement. The General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions (GFBTU), who organized the protest, said on Tuesday that "we demand the immediate reinstatement of all the workers as recommended by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI)." The independent body was set up to probe possible violations of human rights in the security forces' crackdown on the mass protests. The GFBTU has registered close to 3,000 workers dismissed for skipping work or taking part in anti-government activities since February when the mass protests started. Protesters rallied on Tuesday included doctors, professors, engineers, teachers and other skilled workers, who carried placards that read "returning to work is my basic right." Last week, the Civil Service Bureau (CSB), the Bahraini recruitment authority, said it would reinstated all the workers sacked over the unrest. CSB President Ahmed Al Zayed said 180 Bahrainis would get back their jobs by Jan. 1, adding that the bureau would work on cases of workers prosecuted for alleged criminal activities in the next step of the reinstatement plan. The BICI report released last month said it received 1,624 complaints from workers who were dismissed or suspended from work due to alleged link to the unrest.