Meetings of the Central Council of the International Federation of Arab Trade Unions kick off in Damascus

The meetings of the Central Council of the International Federation of Arab Trade Unions kicked off in Damascus on Wednesday with the participation of delegates from 12 Arab countries.

The council’s meetings will discuss the situation of Arab trade unions and the challenges and obstacles facing the unionist work and will  try to find solutions that enhance the unionist work in the light of the massive developments the region and the world have been witnessing.

During the opening ceremony, Jamal Al-Qaderi, the Secretary General of the International Federation of Arab Trade Unions, Chairman of the General Federation of Trade Unions in Syria, called on all forces and organizations in the world to condemn terrorism and its supporters, mainly the terrorism being practiced against the Palestinian people in occupied Palestine and the Syrian people in occupied Golan. he also called for condemning the economic terrorism represented in the siege and unfair coercive measures imposed on Syria by certain countries to achieve their own political agendas.

Al-Qaderi pointed out that the Central Council of the General Federation of Arab Trade Unions condemns the racist practices and barbaric attacks of the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people, mainly in Gaza Strip and it also condemns the Israeli occupation repeated attacks on Syrian territories in a blatant violation of all international agreements and conventions.

He called on the Arab peoples and governments to take necessary measures as to uncover and deter the aggressive practices of the occupation authorities.

Al-Qaderi stressed that the huge challenges facing the entire world today require dealing with them wisely, decisively and objectively to surpass them with the least damage to the working class. He pointed out that the challenges facing development and the challenges resulted from the Corona pandemic and the spread of terrorism have imposed a difficult situation that hit the global economy in general and affected most Arab countries especially the economically weaker classes.

Al-Qaderi affirmed the need to consolidate constructive cooperation among the Arab partners in the production process, including governments, employers and workers, with the aim of drawing up development plans that achieve the aspirations of Arab workers and improve their conditions.

On her part, Director General of the Arab Labor Organization Rania Rushdie said “we are in Syria to express our support for the struggle of the Syrian workers over the past 10 years,” urging the international community to work as to lift the coercive measures and the unfair economic blockade imposed on the Syrian people.”

Hamda Mustafa