Considering the grave challenges
which face the democratic and independent trade union movement in the Arab
world and the urgent need to respond to these, the General Council gave its
support to this new ITUC structure, which will give immediate priority to
tackling frequent and massive violations of fundamental liberties, including
trade union rights, to defending workers in the context of growing poverty and
unemployment and to fighting against social injustice, which particularly
affects women, young people and the poorest, including migrant workers.
ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow
welcomed the decision, saying “Trade unions are at the forefront of the fierce
and long struggle which is taking place across the Arab world, which sets
democrats and progressives against authoritarian and retrograde forces.
The trade unionists of the Arab World have expressed their urgent need for a
specific space to better unify their forces and put in place a common
strategy. The ITUC General Council has today expressed its full
solidarity with their struggle in favour of democratic, progressive and
independent trade unionism in this part of the world. »
“This new sub-regional structure
will help us project a strong and unified voice in our ongoing struggle to
defend and build democratic, progresssive and independent trade unions in the
Arab countries, » said Houcine Abbassi, General Secretary of the UGTT Tunisia
and Acting President of the new Arab sub-regional structure of the ITUC during
its transitional period up to the ITUC Congress.
- advice from ITUC
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