(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The head of Bahrain's civil service has denied that any employees were sacked after the largely Shia pro-democracy protests that the Persian Gulf Arab kingdom crushed last month with military reinforcements from some of its neighbours.
Bahraini opposition groups and rights organisations say hundreds of public employees were dismissed on the grounds that they took part in protests. The government argues it had taken steps only against those who committed crimes during the protests.
"Up to now, no one has been dismissed for disciplinary reasons," state media quoted Ahmad bin Zayed al-Zayed, the head of the civil service, as saying.
He said further that any disciplinary measures for alleged involvement in the uprising would be for strictly defined administrative and criminal offences.
In comments reported late on Tuesday on Bahrain's state news agency, al-Zayed denied "what has been said about the dismissal of a number of employees ... in positions under the umbrella of the civil service".
Bahrain, which hosts the Fifth Fleet of the US navy, has a free trade pact with the US which the AFL-CIO trade union confederation last week urged the US to pull out of in response to violations of human and labour rights by Bahrain.
They were also expected to raise the issue of judicial actions taken by the government against the General Federation of Bahraini Trade Unions.
Bahraini unionists called strikes in solidarity with the Pearl Roundabout protests in February.
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