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and an Arab, three workers one representing BAPCO, another a government

employee, and finally one was to be chosen from four candidates nominated by the

HEC. Audsley personally met with Al-Bakir and urged him to accept the proposal as

the HEC’s plans for a single trade union was not realistic, according to the British

labour adviser. After consultation, the HEC accepted the idea but later withdrew

their support. This change of mind came in the form of three demands. Firstly, that

the HEC put forward a nominee of its own choice and that the Government had no

say in the Party’s decision. Secondly, the official acknowledgement of the HEC by

the Government of Bahrain. Thirdly, the insistence on forming an ‘Assembly’ to

discuss issues other than labour.

With the HEC’s refusal to accept the Government Labour Committee, the

Administration decided that the last three posts were to be filled by elections in

April. As well as its attempt to form a Labour Committee, the Bahraini

Administration had taken the initiative independently to set up two other appointed

committees responsible for overseeing the Departments of Health and of Education

based on the Commission of Enquiry’s recommendations, which had yet to be

published in full. The Ruler then declared his intention to personally contribute

£157,500 towards new health and educational projects to be directed by the two

new committees. 307

Regarding the Commission of Enquiry’s findings, reports on each department

were sent to the Ruler, to the Adviser, and to the Political Agent as each department

307 TNA, FO 371/114586, Burrows to FO, 14 March 1955; and ‘Richard, Residency’s Monthly Report
April 1955’, in Political Diaries of the Persian Gulf, vol. 20 1955-1958, ed. R.L. Jarman (London: 1990),
1-5 (2-3); and TNA, FO 371/114770, Burrows to FO, 16 April 1955.

© Hamad E. Abdulla 103