The Lebanese Observatory for the Rights of Workers publishes its annual report for 2012 || Newspapers (Arabic)

The Lebanese Observatory for the Rights of Workers released during a press conference organised last Friday the 5th of April 2013, its first annual report for 2012 entitled “protests and workers’ issues in Lebanon in 2012: the year of strengthening the public sector and shaming the general workers’ union”.
The report was produced with the financial support of Diakonia and included a detailed monitoring of key issues that were addressed by the workers’ struggles including the different forms of protests that took place in 2012, their timeframe, sectors and demands raised by workers and employees.
The report allocates a significant space to two key actions that overwhelmed the workers’ and trade unions scene in 2012 namely the 94 days strikes of the daily contractual workers in the Electricity Board and the protests of the workers in Spinneys supermarket chain who demanded the application of the governmental salaries raise.  The report considers that the General Workers’ Union has by and large colluded with the employers so as to grant workers a minimal raise on salaries.  The report further describes the general union of trade unions as a confederation of confessions and sects.
The report is laudable in its description of the Workers Coordination Committee and applauds its role in forming a distinctive national trade union leadership.  Finally, the report also applauds the National Labour Trade Union League for deciding to withdraw from the General Workers’ Union.
For a full copy of the report, contact The Lebanese Observatory for the Rights of Workers on 01-425783
Source: Al-Safir, al-Nahar, Al-Diyar, Al-Akhbar, Al-Mustaqbal 6 April 2013