Workshop: “Impact of Political Division on the Work of the Trade Unions in Gaza strip”

At the workshop, Mr. Nidal Ghaben, director of the Democracy and Workers’ Rights Center in Gaza, and Mr. Elias El-Jelda, a representative of Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU) in Gaza, spoke about the difficult working conditions for the trade unions in the Gaza Strip.

The different Trade unions are unable to guarantee workers’ rights. A trade union law was planned to be passed years ago, but the due to the political division the legislature does not convene. According to the speakers, the trade union federations are politicized and pursue partisan and personal interests.

Furthermore, there is a lack of internal democratic structures among the trade union associations. With no end to the political division the rights of the workers in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip are at risk.

Speakers, guests from civil society organizations, representative of trade unions and journalists engaged in a deep and lively discussion. Key points of the discussion were the improvement of the work of the trade unions, as well as possible future scenarios.