Strengthening Workers’ Organizations in the Arab Countries through social, economic and legal literacy

The project develops the capacity of workers’ organizations in the Arab region to participate effectively in policy debates, influence public decisions, and defend workers’ rights and interests.

Summary

The ILO will provide capacity development for workers’ organizations through a socioeconomic and legal literacy training programme that enhances the technical and strategic capacities of workers’ organizations to enable them to participate effectively in policy debates, influence public policies and better defend workers’ rights. This project strengthens the institutional capacity of workers’ organizations and implements a comprehensive capacity development program including technical support for trade union leadership.

Objectives

The project develops the capacity of workers’ organizations in the Arab region to participate effectively in policy debates, influence public decisions, and defend workers’ rights and interests. It aims to:
  • Strengthen the technical capacity of workers’ organizations
  • Strengthen the institutional capacity of workers’ organizations
  • Where no such workers’ organizations exist, provide support to help establish them

Activities

  • Design and validate a socioeconomic and legal literacy-training programme for workers and their organizations
  • Develop and disseminate policy and issue briefs on priority issues to inform the policy positions of trade union leaders
  • Train women and men trainers in various sectors to contribute to the analysis, training and organization of unorganized workers, particularly in the private sector and informal economy
  • Provide technical advice and inputs to workers’ organizations to enable them to develop strategic plans in response to economic and social challenges
  • Support increasingly democratic and representative organizational structures
  • Promote evidence-based policy analysis
  • Develop a network of socioeconomic and legal expertise to support workers’ organizations
  • Establish a labour education and research network for the Arab region 
  • Implement a comprehensive capacity development programme including technical support for trade union leadership
  • Develop context-specific strategies and action plans targeting increased internal democracy, independence and representation of workers’ organizations
  • Focus on integrating women and youth into trade unions

Objectives

  • Institutional and technical capacity of workers’ organizations strengthened.
  • Materials on socioeconomic and legal issues shared.
  • Knowledge management of workers’ organizations supported.
  • Needs assessments of workers’ organizations conducted.
  • Development of strategic plans by workers’ organisations supported.
  • A workshop on the role and perspectives of the trade union movement in light of the current situation in Jordan was organized in July 2012 joining the General Federation of Jordanian Trade Unions (GFJTU) and the independent trade unions.
  • A common platform of work was adopted for 2013, that included a cooperation programme in Jordan centred on training and technical support and capacity building.
  • The development of a socio-economic programme for the General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions (GFBTU) adopted in its Second General Congress.
  • As a result of a workshop on wage policies in Oman in July 2012, the General Federation of Oman Trade Unions (GFOTU) entered into negotiations with the government, which led to an increase in the legal minimum wage in Oman.