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To mark May Day, Education International is calling on governments worldwide to respect teachers’ human and trade union rights.

The global union federation has also partnered with Amnesty International (AI) to reiterate the call it made in 2011 for Bahraini authorities to immediately and unconditionally free Mahdi Abu Dheeb, President of the Bahrain Teachers’ Association (BTA).

Teacher unions are instrumental to successful education systems – and to providing teachers with a voice to advocate for quality education. However, teacher trade unionists face violationsof their union rights in many parts of the world.

Genuinely free and independent trade unions can only exist in collaborative contextsfree of violence, pressure, fear and threats of any kind, and wherehuman rights are respected. Without human and trade union rights, there can be no democracy, no rule of law, no inclusion, and no citizenship. Unfortunately, this is the reality for millions of teachers who live in autocratic countries with anti-union governments.

Rights crisis in Bahrain

In Bahrain, for example, internationally recognised human and teacher trade union rights are not respected. BTA leader Mahdi Abu Dheeb has been detained since April, 2011, after BTA called for a demonstration against education sector reforms and human rights abuses. Abu Dheeb was charged with halting the education process, inciting hatred of the regime, and attempting to overthrow the regime. He is serving a five years’ prison term under difficult circumstances. BTA was dissolved by the Ministry of Social Development in 2011. Three years later, neither BTA nor any other democratic organisation voicing the concerns of teachers has been allowed to be re-established.

EI, teacher unions, and other union and human rights groups have asked for the release of the Bahraini teacher leader. In addition, Amnesty International adopted Abu Dheeb as a prisoner of conscience. You can find more information about the BTA leader’s case here

Global campaign

EI has also partnered with Amnesty International to launch a global campaign calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Mahdi Abu Dheeb. The campaign also denounces the continuing repression of civil liberties and the criminalisation of teachers and unionists for exercising their legitimate human rights. This partnership will highlight Mahdi Abu Dheeb’s case and mark the third anniversary of his arrest.

You can add your voice to that of EI and AI by using the link here to sign and return the appeal card to AI. Signed cards will be delivered to the Bahraini Ambassador in the United Kingdom.

You can also promote the campaign by highlighting it on your website and your Facebook account.

EI: Teacher unions must be strengthened

“In its Unite for Quality Education campaign, EI stresses that teacher organisations must be strengthened to achieve sustainable quality public education for all,” said EI General Secretary Fred van Leeuwen. “Through freedom of associationand social dialogue, agreements can be reached to support well-qualified teachers, with access to ongoing professional development, professional autonomy, fair wages and working conditions, and appropriate safe learning and teaching environments.”