Is a trade union for migrant domestic workers really a threat? CGTL sides with the government!

Following the news on the establishment of a trade union for domestic workers, Addiyar newspaper stated in its issue of last Saturday that this development was considered by Lebanese workers as a provocation which quoting a public official source from the Ministry of Labour who said that is was a dangerous precedence the history of trade unionism adding that it will cause chaos. The source questioned the reasons behind this move particularly in Lebanon where the number of domestic workers is three to four times less than in some of the remaining Arab countries.
Similarly to the public official viewpoint, the President of the General Confederation of Lebanese Workers (CGTL), Ghassan Ghosn, was also sarcastic and skeptical about the move, saying that solidarity should be expressed with the Lebanese workers who are still denied their rights in heath coverage and retirement pension. He also declared, “The intentions behind this move are not innocent but opportunistic the least to say,” and added, “The priority should be given to improving the social conditions of construction workers for example, and the Lebanese workforce in general, through extending the social security system and providing it with other benefits that will enhance living standards. (Al Diyar, Feb 7, 2015)