Aluminium Bahrain BSC (Alba) announced that the company has notified the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) that it has appointed the Hay Group, global management consulting firm specialised in the aluminium sector, to conduct a comprehensive study on jobs offered to the remainder of Alba employees whose situations have not been settled, and have not as yet been reinstated to their jobs.
This move is in response to the directives issued by His Majesty the King of Bahrain, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, His Royal Highness the Prime Minister of Bahrain, Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa as well as in response to recommendations made by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and to the efforts made by the Government of Bahrain in reinstating without salary deduction and demotion all those employees who were dismissed following the events that took place in February and March, 2011.
The Alba management has taken series of steps to reinstate dismissed employees and close this file for good. However, Alba has faced repeated rejections to jobs offered to the remainder of dismissed employees who alleged that the nature of work of their new jobs was different. Nevertheless, the company has remained determined to respond to the directives of Bahrain’s political leadership and turn the pages of the past, and consequently, has reinstated 484 employees to their jobs.
Amongst the 484 employees include the group that applied to benefit from Alba’s early retirement or medical retirement schemes. The remaining group comprises 39 employees who have not been reinstated to their jobs, out of 42 employees; after the situations of three employees were settled since the consultative company commenced its work.
The consultative company is currently conducting a technical study to look into the allegations by the remaining employees about the difference in nature between their previous jobs and the ones being offered to them. As part of this study, the consultative company is listening to the views of both the dismissed employees and that of their previous and present work supervisors. Alba would like to emphasise that it is awaiting the final results of this study, and affirms its commitment to implement the recommendations outlined in the report.