'File 8/16 Bahrain Intelligence Summary' [‎34r] (67/108)

Off*)
- 2 -
the object of carrying out this survey is to discover the
best route for a railway to run from Mecca to Ffuscat
crossing the Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. .’
137. LABOUR TROUBLES - BAPCO .
Some 30 South African employees of the Bahrain
Petroleum Company submitted a demand in mid-August for
increases in pay and a general rise in the rates payable
to South Africans to bring them into line viith those of
Canadian and - eventually - American employees of the
Company. Attempts to negotiate with the employees indi
vidually were met with a refusal to discuss terms except
through representatives of the strikers.
Eventually, some 20 South Africans, nearly all
of whom were operators in the refinery, stayed away from
work and on the 25th August the Company discharged them
for cause.
The employees refused to accept transportation
and a large deputation waited on the Assistant Political
Agent that day to air their grievances. After discussions
lasting several hours with three representative spokesmen
and also with Mr. ward Anderson, the Chief Local Represent
ative, the strikers decided to accept transportation back
to South Africa where they apparently intend taking legal
advice to remedy their contention that discharge for cause
was not warranted.
So ended the first organised attempt in Bapco of
non-American employees to obtain for themselves the same
rates of pay as for American personnel. The problem is not
new and the same difficulties have arisen from this question
in other oil companies.
The strike and dismissal of so many operators
resulted in the shutting down of two crude stills and one
reformer in the Refinery.
138. LABOUR TROUBLES - DHAHRAN .
The strike of Italian workers in Aramco was no
sooner settled than a general strike of Arab employees
was declared.
The American Vice-Consul in Dhahran, Mr. Birge,
informed the Assistant political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. that the strikers
were ordered by His Majesty the King to return to work and
delegates from the Oil Company, the strikers, and Saudi
officials met to discuss their grievances. Mr. Birge
anticipates the Company having to make some concessions in
increases of rates of pay to their employees but the result
of meetings of representatives is not known as yet.
139. ' PERILS OF THE DEEP .
On the 30th August, a local fisherman was brought
ashore near the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. for burial. He had been killed by a
small sword-fish that leapt over the net with which he and
fifty others were dragging the
stomach.
deep and
impaled him in the
140. METEOROLOGICAL.
Maximum temperature
104°F.
on 17.8.1945.
Minimum temperature
81°F.
on 23.8.1945.
Maximum humidity
99%
on 26.8.1945.
Minimum humidity
49%
on 17.8.1945.
Sd./-
R.E.R. BIRD,
NS. for political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. , Bahrain.