Bahrain's New Labor Legislation

In the context of a strong U.S. commitment to the development of representative institutions and civil society, we welcome the steps King Hamad Al-Khalifa is taking to facilitate Bahrain’s transition to democracy. Bahrain advanced that process significantly this week. Building on the important political reform measures Bahrain has undertaken over the past year, Bahrain enacted a new labor law that grants workers, for the first time, freedom of association, and the right to organize in trade unions and bargain collectively. This new legislation also grants non-Bahraini citizens the right to join labor unions. Bahrain has thus taken a major step toward protecting workers' rights and meeting international labor standards.