For months, pro-government press has demonized trade unionists and pro-democracy activists, falsely accusing them of any number of crimes against the state. A November 1 article in ALWATAN goes one step further, in actually declaring the dissolution of the General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions (GFBTU), an affiliate of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). Fortunately, the reports of its death are greatly exaggerated. Despite the sacking of dozens of union leaders and nearly 3,000 workers, most of whom are union members, as well as a scurrilous media campaign meant to discredit the union, the GFBTU remains a vital, democratic and non-sectarian force in Bahrain today.