Another step in the country’s reformStrong unions may build Yemen [Archives:2003/695/Opinion]

Ismail Al-Ghabiri
The issue of administrative and financial reforms has been at the forefront of government priorities since the beginning of the revolution, and people kept searching for lessons learned by those with similar situations before us.
One of the mechanisms that were adopted was the creation of union committees in the workplace in public, private and mixed sectors as they represent the sole guarantor for workers' rights and obligations, and a means for its growth and prosperity.
Unions are adjacent management forces to the administration, ensuring the proper use of public resources respecting the constitution, laws, regulations, and prevailing instructions in this regard.
The selection of new and active leaderships for those unions in all facilities and establishments guarantees to eradicate financial and administrative corruption which is spread in many government agencies, and the society as a whole, and will stop anyone who tries to build personal wealth on the account of the workers by stealing from their departments' annual budgets, misallocating funds, taking commissions and contracts, and other illegal dealings.
The political leadership has announced that it was in need of a financial and administrative revolution, and sees that the creation of union committees in their new structure may indeed form the administrative nucleus for eradicating corruption and the corrupted, financial embezzlements, bribery, and preventing the waste of public funds. The unions need more attention from the political leadership in making them a tangible reality in the work practices of our establishments and modern government.
It is time to start working on eliminating the corrupted elements in our society, speeding up the development process of our establishments, and enjoying a lifestyle full of law, and stability, and based on reward and penalty.
Some might contend that elevating the powers of these committees in individual establishments is contingent upon the elevation of powers of the general unions.
I disagree. I think that the initiative of elevating the power of those unions in every facility will make the unions a bridge for the continuity of the same approach until the end. If this were to be implemented, we may find ourselves in a few months or years enjoying a much better lifestyle in our workplace and living standards free of frowning and complaining moods because we have entered the range of implementing the proper solutions.
I find it an opportunity here to call upon all good citizens in my country to join hands in launching this initiative based on individual and group responsibilities, and work together in a planned and organized method to create better administration for our affairs under our own supervision.
This is one of the goals of the Revolution, the Republic, and indeed Yemen's unification and democracy.
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