On the occasion of May 1, International Workers’ Day
A statement issued by the Labor Union Coalition in Palestine
The masses of our struggling workers
The first of May this year comes under extremely difficult political and economic circumstances, full of challenges, in light of the persistence of the Zionist entity and its fascist army in continuing its collective attacks on the Gaza Strip and its indifference in killing and abuse, the desecration of holy places, the expansion of settlement and the Judaization of Jerusalem, the rising prices and the deterioration of economic and social conditions. The high unemployment rates and the harassment and discrimination measures practiced against our workers at home and across the borders and seam areas, which threaten our workers and people to fall below the poverty line levels.
*** The Palestinian working class has formed, throughout the history of the national and social struggle, a beacon that illuminates in all social, economic, and struggle frameworks the progress of the martyrs, prisoners, and wounded, and its ongoing union struggle to reach an independent, sovereign state with its capital, Al-Quds Al-Sharif.
*** The Labor Union Coalition in Palestine, while congratulating the members of the Palestinian working class on the Day of May 1, calls for strengthening the steadfastness of our people and workers and preserving the balance and justice of the social classes in a fair manner. It calls for building a parallel labor market capable of shouldering its responsibilities towards our simple working class.
Our brave workers: The Labor Union Coalition, at the height of these massacres and massacres committed against our Palestinian people and against our people in the Gaza Strip, and in light of the difficult circumstances that all Palestinian governorates are now experiencing as a result of the raids, arrests, preventing workers from going to work, the proliferation of checkpoints, and the closure of areas, we, first of all, highly appreciate Patience, determination and steadfastness of our giant people. We turn to all the world’s unions to stand up to their responsibilities with the Palestinian people and support the workers of Palestine. In these difficult circumstances, the union coalition calls for:
First: To work on the unity of the Palestinian working class in a way that serves the workers and does not trade with them. We call for curbing all those who claim to represent the workers when they have no representation, and to reject slogans and stop all forms of trade union fragmentation and unite the ranks far away, capable of leading the reins of workers’ affairs and stopping all forms of trading and bidding on our workers. .
Second: We call on all national, Arab, regional and international union frameworks, human rights organizations and United Nations organizations to closely monitor what is happening in Palestine and to have an active role and stop the international policies of silence and hypocrisy in favor of Israel.
Third: Working to secure the broadest national coalition to pressure for the reactivation of the Social Security Law with its amendments that meet the desire of workers and the implementation of all regulations and laws in Palestine (the labor law, the minimum wage system, the approval of labor courts and the trade union organization law), and enhancing the role of working women and youth.
Fourth: Finally, I, in the labor union coalition in Palestine, call on the international community to put pressure on Israel, America and their allies to stop the war on Gaza, complete withdrawal, allow all displaced persons to return to their areas, bring in aid, release Palestinian prisoners unconditionally, and reconstruct and rebuild Gaza as it was.
Glory and eternity to the martyrs of the working class and the martyrs of our people… and freedom to the prisoners of freedom…
