General Federation of the Yemeni Workers Trade UnionsLabor Day Marked in Yemen [Archives:2005/839/Local News]
By Fahmia AL-Fotih
For the Yemen Times
World countries celebrated on Sunday 1 May the World Labor Day, Yemen represented by the General Federation of Yemeni Trade Unions organized a big festival to honor 500 workers from economic, commercial, trade institutions and companies. The festival that was sponsored by president Ali Abduallah Saleh took place in the Big Hall of 22 May in Sana;a.
Mr. Abdu rabo Mansour, the vice-president of the republic, Mr. Abdualkareem Al-Arhabi, the minister of Labor and Social Affairs along with a number of ministers, governmental officials, businessmen, heads of different industrial institutions and Arab and foreign diplomats attended as well.
The vice president delivered a welcoming speech in which he greeted all workers who helped in building the prosperity of Yemen.
Mr. Mansour pointed out in his speech that Yemen was one of the pioneer countries that founded the worker unions. The first union was launched in March 1956 in Aden, which had a vital role in fighting the occupiers.
The vice president also revealed that there are 350 worker unions that have 3350 members.
He also said that the government is working on finding a new mechanism of paying those who work in this vital field well.
Mr. Abdu rabo took that chance to reveal the ruling party's interest in calling all the political and national forces and opposition parties for an open dialogue to work together for Yemen's favor. He stressed on the importance of the serious and aiming political dialogue and called for stopping the exchange accusations via media that don't serve Yemen at all.
On his part, Mr. Yahya AL-Kahlani, the head of GFYWTU, delivered a speech in which he displayed the activities of GFYWTU since its foundation and its role in protecting the workers rights in the republic and stressed on the necessity of establishing unions in all the institutions and called for honest elections in these unions.
On behalf of the women workers Ms. Redh Ahmed Karhash, delivered a speech in which she indicated the importance of woman participation in all work fields and displayed all the stages that Yemeni woman had gone through till she got her rights and started to strongly join the labor forces along with the man.
In the end the, around 500 talented, hardworking workers from various companies, organizations and institutions were honored and given certificates.
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