Lebanon: Statement of FENASOL

At a time when working people in Lebanon, the Arab region and the world are suffering from policies of impoverishment, informalization, deregulation and privatization, multinational companies and employers organizations along with some governments are leading a fierce campaign to undermine international labour standards. This has manifested itself in the attack on ILO supervisory mechanisms, especially those related to the right to strike and to organize enshrined in the ILO Convention number 87 on freedom of association.

In a clear attempt to strip the ILO from its rights-based mandate and role, reactionary forces have been working for the last couple of years on paralyzing the work of the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations at the ILO. The employers’ position, backed by some government, amounts to an attack on the system of rights and freedoms. It is indeed an attack on the basic principles of the ILO, the universality and unity of its standards and thus on stripping workers from having effective tools that empowers them to defend their legitimate rights and interests.

The National Federation of workers and employees trade unions in Lebanon (FENASOL) firmly stands on its principled position in support of trade union rights, particularly the right to strike and to organize. FENASOL believes that:

  1. International Labour Standards constitute a fundamental guarantee to protecting workers in their struggle for freedom of association and social justice;
  2. Inaction in the face of employers and some governments attempts will strip workers not only from their right to strike and to organize, but also will endanger the cornerstones underpinning democratic societies.

Accordingly, FENASOL, supporting the global workers’ movement for the right to strike, declares its endorsement of the International Trade Union Confederation campaign for the global day of action to protect the right to strike on February 18 2015. FENASOL will:

  1. Join the efforts exerted in support for the right to strike and affirms its commitment to support every militant action in this regard;
  2. Undertake preparations for a day of action to coincide with the discussions on the right to strike during the second half of March 2015;
  3. Call on all like-minded civil society organizations to meet urgently with a view on taking a unified position in defense of the right to strike.

FENASOL calls on the Lebanese Government to:

  1. Fully respect the ratified ILO C98 on the right to organize and collective bargaining, through putting in place the necessary legal, legislative and executive mechanisms guaranteeing its implementation and enforcement
  2. Write to the ILO Director General affirming the Lebanese Government’s support of the workers’ group position regarding the right to strike and to request representatives of the Arab Governments at the GB to take a similar position.
  3. To support the position of the Workers’ Group in referring the case to the International Court of Justice the tri- partite discussion of February fails to recognise the right to strike deriving from C87.
  4. To endorse the creation of an independent ILO Tribunal under article 37 or a mechanism based on that article to solve disputes related to the interpretation of Conventions

Finally, FENASOL salutes the ITUC for organizing this international campaign to defend the right to strike and calls on all regional and international trade union organizations to join these efforts.

Beirut 16/02/2015