Bahrain’s Health Ministry has reinstated 480 employees sacked in connection with the unrest earlier this year, while leading aluminium smelter Alba has recalled more than 200 of its staff who were dismissed during same period.

The ministry employees had been referred to administrative investigation and suspended from work in line with ministerial edict 8 for 2011.

'The move stems from our keenness to preserve human resources,' the ministry said yesterday (December 12).

It said the fate of 41 sacked employees involved in penal cases would be decided pending court verdicts.

Administrative measures will be undertaken in line with the Civil Service Bureau's (CSB) rules and regulations and its executive bylaw.

Regarding the cases of 35 employees sacked by disciplinary councils for flouting CSB rules, the ministry said it had no authority to scrutinise their complaints.

'Disciplinary councils are independent panels set up by the CSB and their decisions are binding,' the ministry said, affirming its respect for the employees' right to lodge complaints with the courts and appeal their sacking.

The ministry deplored inaccurate reports published in some newspapers, urging accuracy in reporting news.

Meanwhile, Alba's Union in co-operation with the management was able to return 267 of 514 dismissed employees, Alba Union chairman Ali Al Binali said in a statement.

The management has fully co-operated with the union's requests of creating an interrogation committee before terminating any employee.

Also, any dismissed or warned employee can raise a grievance to appeal against the action taken against him.

Al Binali said that 73 dismissed employees signed an optional discharge waiver with the management, while less than 100 dismissal cases were still in court.

The company at present has more staff than needed as a result of the reinstatement of dismissed employees. The employees exceed the current need by 186 workers, he said. – TradeArabia News Service