Overcoming Threats, Migrant Domestic Workers in #Lebanon Establish Unprecedented Labor Union: It was a moving scene. The color red dominated the room, including the slogans and banners that demanded the abolition of the sponsorship system as a main objective. Red also dominated the unified clothing worn by the participants, which reflects the steadfastness of this movement and the commitment of its female members to the cause: resisting the worst forms of exploitation in the labor market. On Sunday, more than 200 women, from the persecuted of different nationalities, flocked to a wedding hall facing the headquarters of the Federation of Workers and Employees Unions in Lebanon (FENASOL) in the area of Wata Msaytbeh in Beirut. They attended in large numbers, exceeding expectations and overcoming the subordinate and acquiescent environment that shackles workers in Lebanon. The participants declared the founding of the first trade union for domestic workers, albeit under a pseudonym, “The General Union of Cleaning Workers and Social Care,” and a fake constituent body that includes Lebanese citizens working in this field, as well as similar or related fields, in order to be consistent to unfair Lebanese laws that inherently violate the rights and freedoms a broad segment, which today represents an important portion of paid laborers. We want to be treated like human beings, like real workers, said Leticia, a Filipina who was assaulted and raped by her employer several years ago. “With this union, I will no longer feel alone in the face of abuse, she told AFP. The new initiative is unprecedented in the Arab world, which the United Nations says is home to some 30 million migrant workers.
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 15:45:01 +0000
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