The federation discussed the issue in a meeting on Thursday as officials pored over roster books to discover that many members had not paid dues.
Union members affiliated with the federation, according to its constitution, should pay BD12 a year. The federation has under its aegis more than 50 unions or some 30,000 members.
It did not say how many have not been paying the fee but one official said the number “could be very high.”
The federation is also unclear over the status of members in public sector unions who have stopped paying the fee apparently to avoid being labelled as unionists.
“Many government workers who have joined unions continue to refuse to register for fear of intimidation,” a union official said.
The federation and the Civil Service Bureau have locked horns over the formation of unions in the government sector.
