Gulf Air, the national airline of Bahrain, has denied claims that it had been marginalising workers who were reinstated after being absent during the unrest.

The airline said it had fully complied with the directives of a Royal decree issued following the publication of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) report.

A statement said 147 employees had already been reinstated, most of whom had either returned to their previous jobs or been assigned a job with equivalent responsibilities based on its organisational requirements.

It follows Gulf Air Trade Union allegations that re-instated staff had been "ignored" and "neglected".

"There are only 53 employees awaiting new alternative job assignments as their positions have been filled during their absence," said the airline statement. "However, their salaries and benefits have been reinstated."

The statement said no new contracts had been issued to the reinstated workers, as claimed by the union.

"As such, they are governed by the terms and conditions of their previous contracts," it said.

"As the national carrier of Bahrain and one of the prominent employers in Bahrain, we fully respect all aspects of Bahrain's labour law and abide by the directives of the government." – TradeArabia News Service