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
Amnesty lists Bahrain teacher union, health worker, nurse union leaders as prisoners of conscience in annual report 2013-05-24 [Amnesty International] 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]
Egypt
A First national strike in Egypt 2013-05-24 [IndustriALL Global Union] Angry Suez Canal Authority workers in Port Said storm conference worried about Muslim Brotherhood influence over their workplace 2013-05-24 [Ahram Online]
Freedom of association threatened by draft law - Egyptian civil society says 2013-05-24 [Ahram Online]
Iran
Factory workers protest over nine months of unpaid wages 2013-05-22 [NCRI] 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]
Iraq
Simplified Visa Procedures For Foreign Oil Worlers 2013-05-24 [Al-Monitor] 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]
Israel
Histadrut chair tells PM to bring his wildcat ministers to order 2013-05-24 [Globes] Minister Bennett puns about exterminating port workers - calls them ants 2013-05-24 [Globes]
Netanyahu tries to bust Israel's powerful port union 2013-05-24 [Bloomberg]
Jordan
Gender Pay Discrimination in Jordan: A Call for Change 2013-05-22 [ILO] 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]
Kuwait
State oil service workers on strike over pay - Union 2013-05-24 [Steel Guru] Oil worker strike hits Kuwait 2013-05-22 [Upstream]
Oil sector workers on strike over pay -union 2013-05-22 [Reuters]
Lebanon
Three union leaders accuse Gvt of doing nothing to oppose sectarianism, civil strife and security chaos 2013-05-24 [Lebanon Daily Star] Union accuses Finance Ministry of adopting stall tactics on wage hike 2013-05-24 [Lebanon Daily Star]
PM vows to send wage hike to Parliament 2013-05-19 [Lebanon Daily Star]
Libya
Scores of Egyptian migrant workers deported from Libya for 'illegal entry' 2013-05-24 [Ahram Online] 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]
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
Ministry of Manpower to intensify summer work hours inspection to book offenders 2013-05-22 [Gulf News] 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]
Palestine
ITF Gaza fund gets off to flying start 2013-05-24 [ITF] Nablus teachers union chief resigns amid dispute 2013-05-24 [Ma'an News Agency]
Teachers' union to abide by court decision on exam dates 2013-05-22 [Ma'an News Agency]
Qatar
Unless Qatar improves its treatment of workers, the World Cup vote must be re-run, unions tell UEFA Congress 2013-05-24 [TUC] Union Activists: Uefa must threaten to re-run 2022 vote 2013-05-24 [Morning Star]
Who wants an Indonesian maid? Trafficking in Qatar 2013-05-22 [Migrant Rights]
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
In solidarity with Tunisian and Egyptian workers IUF, US unions shake up Mondelez shareholders meeting with call to end human rights abuses 2013-05-24 [IUF] 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]
United Arab Emirates
Striking Dubai workers face mass deportation 2013-05-24 [Al Jazeerah] Laborers in Rare Strike for More Wages 2013-05-24 [The Wall Street Journal]
Striking workers in their own words 2013-05-24 [Al Jazeera]
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]
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