Labour news from the Middle East
Algeria
Oasis Towns Clamor for Jobs in Shadow of Al-Qaeda 2013-04-23 [Bloomberg] First independent catering union launched in Algeria 2013-04-23 [IUF]
Imams Set up Trade Union and affiliate to National Union Centre to Counter Salafists 2013-04-04 [The North Africa Post]
Bahrain
Alba employees honoured on International Labour Day 2013-05-09 [AMEinfo] Open Letter to the Parliament regarding the bill presented by the Government to reform the law on associations 2013-05-09 [OMCT]
America raises workers’ rights issues with Bahrain 2013-05-09 [FT]
Egypt
Workers at North Cairo Electricity Co end strike 2013-05-20 [Ahram on line] Cairo airport baggage handlers end strike over death of colleague 2013-05-20 [Arab News]
Sinai security forces begin strike over kidnapped soldiers 2013-05-20 [Ahram]
Iran
Current state of Vahed Workers Syndicate and State Labor Organisations 2013-05-19 [Iran Labor Report] Vahed Workers Syndicate asks ITF to file complaint to ILO 2013-05-19 [Iran Labor Report]
Lech Walesa of Iran driven into exile 2013-05-19 [CFR]
Iraq
Judge Grants Another Delay in Oil Ministry Case Against Union Leader 2013-05-20 [USLAW] Court case against Iraqi oil union leader starts May 19 2013-05-17 [Stronger Together]
IFJ Mourns TV Journalist Assassinated in Iraq 2013-05-14 [IFJ]
Israel
Haifa Port workers earn average NIS 38,000 monthly 2013-05-21 [Globes ] Meretz MK Zandberg boycotts Knesset cafeterias because the food servers and cooks are contract workers, not employed directly by the Knesset. 2013-05-20 [Jerusalem Post]
IDF soldiers to operate ports if workers strike 2013-05-20 [Haaretz]
Jordan
Gender pay gap widest in manufacturing industries 2013-05-20 [Jordan Times] Interior Minister talks with ILO about concerns of competition between Syrian refugees and Jordanian workers for jobs 2013-05-20 [Jordan Tmes]
Police storm 'Justice Palace' on employees' 4th week on strike 2013-05-20 [Ammon News]
Kuwait
Gvt decision to deport 100,00 expat workers criticised by union 2013-05-10 [Arabian Business] ALO honors Kuwait trade unionist 2013-04-17 [KUNA]
KNPC workers back off strike plan 2013-04-17 [KUNA]
Lebanon
PM vows to send wage hike to Parliament 2013-05-19 [Lebanon Daily Star] Order of Nurses calls formproved working conditions and wages for nurses 2013-05-10 [Lebanon Daily Star]
Survey shows two in three nurses want out of their jobs 2013-05-08 [Lebanon Daily Star]
Libya
Strike hits Libyan Airlines suspends bookings 2013-04-12 [Libya Herald] Workers end strike at Libya's Ras Lanuf refinery -source 2013-02-12 [Reuters]
Oil workers strike 2013-02-11 [In Defence of Marxism]
Middle East
Maid to work: Gulf labourers hope for day off 2013-05-01 [Al Jazeera] 600,000 workers 'tricked and trapped' into forced labour in Mideast –– ILO 2013-04-15 [Jordan Times]
Report: 600,000 forced labor victims in Middle East 2013-04-13 [CNN]
Morocco
Different seasons of the Arab spring: reports from Morocco and Tunisia 2013-04-27 [Talking Union] Thousands march as Morocco’s labour unions protest economic reforms by Islamist-led government 2013-04-01 [The Record]
Thousands march in Rabat to protest government policies 2013-03-31 [Al Arabiya]
Oman
Muscat airport workers end safety strike 2013-03-14 [Gulf Daily News] Muscat Airport construction shutdown after death of employee 2013-03-13 [Muscat Daily]
Thousands of South Asians strike at Oman airport as Indian worker dies 2013-03-13 [Reuters]
Palestine
Court freezes teacher union exam schedule 2013-05-20 [Ma'an News Agency] COSATU statement on al-Nakba Day 2013-05-16 [Cosatu]
Govt employees to protest as salaries go unpaid 2013-05-14 [Ma'an News Agency]
Qatar
Trade union chiefs refute criticisms by Qatar Air CEO 2013-05-15 [Arabian Business] Who is excluded by the Qatar labour law 2013-05-15 [Gulf Times]
Teacher jailed on charges of insulting Islam is freed by Qatar 2013-05-14 [Washington Post]
Saudi Arabia
Kingdom, Philippines sign labor agreement 2013-05-20 [Saudi Gazette] Illegal workers storm Egypt’s consulate in Jeddah 2013-05-19 [Daily News Egypt]
Indian workers fear effect of Saudi crackdown 2013-05-14 [AJ]
Tunisia
Time Has Come to Reach Consensus to Create Glossary of Democratic Transition - UGTT Secretary General 2013-05-18 [TAP] Ennahdha Walks Out of UGTT Dialogue Session in Reaction to Zied Lakhdhar's Remarks 2013-05-18 [TAP]
UGTT hosted conference reached consensus over number of contentious political issues 2013-05-18 [Tunisia Live]
United Arab Emirates
Dubai workers hold rare strike for more wages 2013-05-21 [AJ] Strike over as Arabtec builders go back to work 2013-05-21 [The National]
UAE construction giant faces rare labor strike 2013-05-21 [The Times-Union]
Yemen
Kidnapped Red Cross workers released in Yemen 2013-05-16 [AJ] Yemenis reel from Saudi labour crackdown 2013-05-16 [AJ]
Workers honored, the backbone of the nation's economy 2013-05-03 [Yemen Times]
More ...