Page 155 - Records of Bahrain (7) (i)_Neat

Constitutional reforms, 1955 141

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CONFIDENTIAL
INWARD SAVING TELEGRAM
FROM BAHRAIN TO FOREIGN OFFICE
By Bag DEPARTMENTAL
DISTRIBUTION
Mr, Burrows

No. 7 8avin«
March 14, 1955 R, March 19, 1955

PRIORITY
CONFIDENT IAI.
Addressed to Foreign Office telegram No. 7 8tvlng of
March 14*
Repeated for information Saving to Cairo (for Audolcy)
B,M,E,Q, Beirut (Devdiv,).
Your telegram No, 211 [of March 10], Bahrain Internal
Situation,
Following on development reported in first sentence of my
telegram No, 145 [of March J] "High Executive Committee" were
informed tliat Government Labour Committee was to be set up
consisting of three representatives of Government (2 members
of the Sheikh’s family and one British official), 3 employers,
(one American or British from Bahrain Petroleum Company, one
from largest Bahraini merchant firm and one Arab contractor)
and three workers, (one representing Bapco employees, one
representing Government labourers and one to bo ohosen by Bahrain
Government from a list of four xuimes which could be submitted by
the "High Executive Committee" to represent all other workers,)
At the same time Mr, Audsloy saw the Secretary of the "High
Executive Committee", explained this offer ancl outlined the kind
of advice on labour legislation, consultative councils and
eventually trade unions which he would give to the Government
Committee, He said that the "High Executive Committee" plan for
a single union would not work^ and urged them to take the present
chance of •ooperation with the Government and to stop talk of
demonstrations and aetion which they had already begun fto form
their own "assembly" from which delegates to their single labour
Union would be ohosen. After discussion in the "High Executive
Commit toe" all this was unanimously accepted,

• 2, Unfortunately "High Executive Committee" later changed
' 't^oir minds and Mr, Audsley was informed on March 10 that;-
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