Labor Movement: The Democratic Depth of Yemen [Archives:2002/04/Law & Diplomacy]

In a cursory look at the status of trade unions in Yemen, we will find that they are in the countdown to collapse. For the most part trade unions have gone astray after they have neglected their duties, prestige and respect, particularly as they have not been able to protect workers. Similarly, trade unions have fallen short to maintain the historic achievements of the Yemeni labor movement. The public sector, one of the most significant accomplishments of the labor movement, has been neglected and blackmailed under the pretext of the so-called privatization. Many people have been fired from their jobs from public-sector enterprises as a consequence of the privatization process.
Immunity of the public sector with regard to vital enterprises has been also trespassed, although such enterprises should be kept untouched for their sacred national status. Workers at public-sector enterprises are in a very bad living standard, especially amid the current economic difficulties. The nightmare of unemployment is haunting their minds as they find no refuge to safeguard them from the changes of the future.
Just to know these facts the legitimacy of trade unions become baseless and moreover the legitimacy of these unions have been invalidated in 1992 when the Central Council voted for the renewal of union legitimacy through holding a general elections. What is happening now is mere mergers of labor unions which is a disastrous move on the development of labor movement. Yet, unions formation has not been thoroughly finalized, particularly in the northern governorates as there is no clear-cut distinction between the union committees and the general unions. In most cases, union committees are set up and they are wrongly considered as general unions. This is indeed a big problem.
Similarly, the activities of trade unions have not been revitalized through the election of new leaderships that will consolidate the work of the labor movement. Forming of trade unions in both the public and private sectors should be encouraged as a means for improving work and production. This will certainly contribute to improving the living conditions of workers and all people.
We don’t not know to what extent the current leadership of trade unions, which came to power after the general elections of 2002, can prove its credibility, especially as it is 14 years old, although its term of office is only 4 years. This openly means that the existence of this leadership is not legitimate and consequently it can neither run the affairs of the union nor it can represent the union at the local or international levels.
The current status of trade unions in Yemen has made them totally unknown both in and outside Yemen. These are stark facts about the real situation of trade unions in Yemen which are free from exaggeration or fabrication.
President Ali Abdullah Saleh as the leader of Yemen and its people is very attentive to the issue of independence and freedom of labor unions. And consequently I don’t think that he will accept the persistence of such undemocratic situation. Indeed, a situation like this is totally against the national principles of the country.
Ultimately, I hope that the general elections for trade unions due for the upcoming year should be fair and free from fraud. And for this end a preparatory committee from trade unions should be set up to assume running the issues related to election. This election should basically aim at reunifying the labor union movement in Yemen at all levels. Unionists representing international labor unions should also attend this election as observers. Moreover, holding such elections should be carried out through convening constituent conferences for unifying the labor movement under the umbrella of the Yemen’s Trade Unions Federation. Consequently, the labor movement will recover and come out of its current crisis. And workers will feel that they have found the way of freedom and justice. By this Yemen will open a gateway to the world through its labor movement, which is the connective link of societies as well as the democratic depth of Yemen.

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