Unionists have registered 1,224 workers allegedly sacked in connection with Bahrain's unrest.

Absenteeism during a wave of anti-government protests is one of the main complaints of their former employers.

The General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions (GFBTU) said most had jobs in the private sector.

A GFBTU spokesman revealed 476 workers had been sacked by Alba and Bapco alone.

He said 247 were from Alba, 229 from Bapco, 149 from Batelco, 137 from APM Terminals, 51 from Bahrain Airport Services, 41 from Banagas and 37 from Asry.

More people are known to have to have been dismissed, but they have not yet registered with the GFBTU.

The organisation is compiling a list of sacked workers and referring it to the Labour Ministry on a weekly basis, with ministry officials pledging to summon companies found to have sacked anyone unfairly.

A source told our sister newspaper Gulf Daily News (GDN) yesterday that a special committee headed by Labour Minister Jameel Humaidan had now started reviewing cases of the dismissed workers.-TradeArabia News Service