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Elections for Coalition of Independent Unions

Historic Elections for Executive Committee of Coalition of Independent and Democratic Trade Unions and Workers’ Committees in Palestine

Ramallah, July 29, 2007: Democratic and independent trade unions and workers’ committees representing female and male workers from the higher education, electricity, telecom, finance, municipal, pharmaceutical and health sectors and the unemployed in Palestine elected an executive committee for their new coalition and voted on their constitution.

The two-day conference started on July 27, with an opening ceremony at the Ramallah Cultural Palace. Proceedings continued at the Rocky Hotel in Ramallah, where conference members discussed internal regulations and conducted the first democratic elections for the new labor coalition.

Nabil Jinawi, elected member of the new Executive Committee and President of the Palestinian Telecommunication and Information Technology Trade Union expressed hope for the coalition: “It won’t be like existing labor federations, instead it will be active toward serving the workers in all the sectors that it represents, uphold democratic standards, and improve the lives of workers.”

Nabil stressed the importance of the coalition in empowering civil society, and hence positively affecting the conflict in Palestine: “If civil society was strong, we would have stood up and stopped the violence between Fatah and Hamas. Because unions are connected to political parties, they stood on one side or another instead of fighting for workers’ rights. Having politically independent union coalitions strengthens civil society and stops political killing.”

The elected executive committee of 15 included 3 women. Hanan Bannourah, representing the Holy Family Hospital workers stated: “Our members don’t elect us because we are women but because we are good representatives and we defend their rights. It’s a big dream that we could establish this coalition and I hope that we will succeed in our target and hopes to start the democratic movement of trade unions in Palestine.”

Hanan expressed her dedication to professional work in trade unions “not because a political party named me to be a member in this committee, but because I was elected by the grassroots to be a member in this coalition.”

Khoulud Asmar, executive committee member from the Telecommunication Union, felt elated at her success: “As a woman we think differently from the men. I think women have a clearer vision than men. I know my aim and I go for it.”

The executive committee will hold another meeting within the next two weeks to agree on a general agenda for the coalition and to follow up on the implementation of the new constitution.

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