What have workers achieved on their Day? [Archives:2005/837/Business & Economy]
Mahyoub Al-Kamaly
The occasion of Labour Day and celebrating it, is observed each year in Yemen, as it is done in countries recognizing workers' rights. Labour Day comes this year while workers in Yemen are experiencing bad living conditions and their job opportunities are dwindling. Moreover, the role of their federation is absent and has not done anything or taken any measures that would improve their material situation.
A construction worker Hassan Ali from Hassaba area has said that there is no importance in celebrating Labour Day this year while workers' conditions have deteriorated despite the government saying that it is working to increase investment activities in order to flourish and recover conditions of the local labour. He also says that the working class has, throughout its long history, struggled and sacrificed for attaining the legitimate right to celebrate its Day beside the formation of trade unions that have acquired their legitimacy from national legislations. Nevertheless, those unions are presently losing their rights as a result of ready-made reforms coming from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. They are in the form of price doses that would not provide job opportunities for the unemployed workers, but as he says, would only beef up financial capacities of officials who carry out projects funded by programs and international donor sides.
Another worker says that the weakness of the trade union movement is due to the division inside the federation, unacceptance and respect of the other opinions. This discloses the reality of the crisis that the labour movement in Yemen is suffering from, especially after the trade unions federation has changed into a semi governmental organisation.
A person working in the architectural sector says that the urgent task is to come out of the crisis and thinks that it could be achieved by trade unionists to study successful solutions for the problems the workers are suffering from. Taking into consideration that those solutions would guarantee their rights in finding job opportunities yielding income to secure the their children's livelihood.
Another worker says that he has been unemployed for some time and has not found a job opportunity in the plumbing field. He also ridicules Yemen's observing the World Labour Day and parties held at all official institutions on the occasion, adding that the government has to develop job opportunities and guarantee for them to lead a good life. He goes on saying that some people think that improving circumstances of workers is of the values and ideals connected to elevating the value of work, recognition of the worker's humanity and status in addition to doing justice to him. Appreciation of his major role in production and development, as being a specialty of the YSP and not the government. This worker thinks such thoughts are mistaken.
Those who are unemployed see that the stand of Islam towards work, workers and social justice in general as important and full of values, principles and ideals doing justice to workers. Those looking for jobs also add that if the state shoulders a high political and legal responsibility towards workers that do not exempt political forces from bearing any part of that responsibility.
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