Lebanese women unite during a workshop on Arab women and trade unions || Newspapers (Arabic)

Al-Safir newspaper reported on the results of the regional workshop on “Women and trade union in Arab countries” which witnessed an agreement between Lebanese women participants to submit a  united working paper at the end of the workshop.  The two Lebanese representatives, Ina’am Abdullah representing “The National Labour Trade Union League” and Thuraya Shoueib representive of Lebanon in "Arab Labour Organisation-Women committe" and “Trade Union League”, agreed to develop a common strategy plan to defend the gains made by Lebanese women.  For more information about the training, please review Arab women in Trade Unions: In Lebanon, women constitute only 2% of trade union leadership published on the WEEPortal on the 6th of February 2013.
The joint Lebanese working paper included the following recommendation: a) improving the internal by-laws of trade unions so that they mainstream the rights of women; b) emphasizing the implementation of a women’s quota; c) setting up a trade union for working women in vulnerable sectors such as street vendors, house workers, etc...; d) ensuring the enforcement of laws in relation to working hours, social security, rights, maternity leaves, etc…; e) abolishing daily labor; f) ensuring that women are confirmed in their employment; and g) organizing awareness raising campaigns as well as setting an institute for trade union training, h) coordinating between women groups and trade unions, and i) using feminine and masculine in trade union discourse,

The advisor of the ILO, Moustafa Said, indicated in an interview to Al-Safir that the women’s movement within the trade unions has been able to engage with social movements in the region despite setbacks.  He went on to say that women need to review and improve their ways of working and transform their demands into action plans.  He further noted that unemployment, exclusion and absence of social justice have stirred up the Lebanese and Arab streets which prompted the trade union movement to interact with these changes and create new groups of workers which will require support in order to develop.  Said also emphasized that Lebanon should ratify the international conventions related to free labor movements and the protection of workers’ organizations because these are bound to strengthen national dialogue.

Source: Al-Safir 8 February 2013