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Leaders of the Bahrain Teachers’ Association have won the 2015 Arthur Svensson International Prize for trade union rights for their efforts to promote and strengthen trade unions and trade union rights in their country.

This International Prize for trade union rights, established in 2010, is granted annually based on proposals from trade unions around the world. It has been created to honour Arthur Svensson, one of the most prominent trade union leaders in Norway (1930-2008).

Mahdi Abu Dheeb and Jalila al-Salman, respectively President and Vice-President of the Bahrain Teachers’ Association (BTA) were nominated by Education International (EI), in partnership with the Union of Education Norway, the Norwegian Association of Researchers, the Skolenes Landsforbund, and other affiliates worldwide.

“I believe we need the Arthur Svensson Prize for trade union rights to be given to BTA to raise the case of trade unionists, education and teachers in Bahrain,” said BTA Vice-President Jalila al-Salman during a meeting at the second Conference of EI Arab Countries Cross-Regional Structure held in December 2014 in Amman, Jordan.

“EI congratulates the Bahrain Teacher Association for winning the Arthur Svensson International Prize for Trade Union Rights!” said EI General Secretary Fred van Leeuwen.

Being awarded this prestigious Prize is a big boost for the spirit of the teachers who continue to carry trade union activities in very difficult circumstances, he noted.

He went on to stress that this represents “a tremendous encouragement for the thousands of Bahraini teachers who still believe in a future where trade union rights and quality education for all would become a reality”.

BTA plays a leading role in in the struggle for independent democratic unions in Bahrain, going on defending relentlessly the teachers’ professional rights and supporting quality of education even if their organisation has been delegalised.

EI and its affiliates worldwide have been supporting BTA in its struggle since 2011, and are committed to support teachers’ rights which are crucial to ensure young people access to quality education in Bahrain.

BTA leaders have been unjustly detained on false charges for simply exercising their right to freedom of assembly and demanding reforms in the Bahraini educational system. Both BTA President Mahdi Abu Dheeb and Jalila al-Salman were arrested and tortured in prison and sentenced to lengthy jail terms, reduced on appeal. Jalila al-Salman has since been released, but Mahdi Abu Dheeb is still in prison despite a deteriorating health condition.