Around 90 workers at a major Bahraini company have threatened to go on strike if a sacked colleague is not taken back.

The Bramco staff, all Bahrainis, claim their union leader Adel Isa was unfairly dismissed on January 7 and are demanding his immediate reinstatement.

However, company officials denied the allegation and claimed proper procedures had been followed in Isa's termination.

'I have been targeted because I did not allow the management to browbeat the employees,'  Isa claimed.

'I have always fought for the rights of the workers and have made sure they are not victimised.

'The management did not like this and terminated my services,' Isa said.

He also claimed he had not instigated the threat of strike action. 'They came to me on their own and said they would not work in protest - I cannot stop them,' he said.

Dismissed

However, Bramco vice-president, financial affairs, Jalaj Anand dismissed Isa's claims and said he had been sacked after collecting three warning letters.

'He was a security guard and was found negligent in his duties,' claimed Anand.

'He was caught sleeping at work, caught with outsiders on the company premises and found instigating workers to protest for any reason,' Anand said.

He also warned that any strike action would be considered illegal.

'I am told some employees have threatened to go on strike - that should not happen since, under the law, the strike will be illegal and they can face action,' he said.

Bramco is a major mining, earth moving and marble supply company established in 1977. It turns over $150 million a year and employs more than 1,000 people.-TradeArabia News Service