Bahrain Teachers Association wins trade union award

The 2015 Arthur Svensson Prize has been awarded to the Bahrain Teachers Association (BTA) by leader Mahdi Abu Dheeb and deputy Jalila al-Salman. The international prize for trade union rights was established by Industri Energi (Norway) in 2010.

The awarding body praised their encouragement of strike actions among teachers despite the personal risks they faced, including imprisonment and torture.

Mahdi Abu Dheeb was sentenced to five years in prison in 2011. His health condition is reportedly worsening steadily and he does not receive essential and critical medical aid.

Jalila al-Salman was released after nearly six months in prison, but still suffers from a job ban and restrictions on her rights to speech.

The Svensson prize is awarded to a person or organisation that has worked predominately to promote trade union rights and/or strengthen trade union organisations. It is awarded annually, based on proposals from trade unions around the world.

In previous years, the award has been granted to Mr Wellington Chibebe, Secretary General of Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), Mr Shaer Sae’d, Secretary General of Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU) and C.CAWDU (Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Democratic Union).