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Palestinian Trade Union Tour makes second of five stops in Bay Area
The Palestinian Trade Union Delegation Tour's second stop of five in the bay area.
The second Bay Area stop for the Palestinian Trade Union Delegation was a rousing success. A crowd of bay area unionists received them warmly at the San Francisco Labor Council meeting, and asked plenty of questions. Mohammed spoke about the relations that workers in Palestine have with those in Israel, including specific relations with the Histadrut (Israeli trade union). He also spoke to the bombing of the headquarters of the PGFTU by the Israeli military with US-provided military hardware, underscoring the danger of living as a worker in a nation under a brutal occupation.
Hekmat explained about how this tour is the first time she has been able to meet the other member of the tour: Mohammed Saleh. With reserved laughter at the tragic situation the crowd clapped in response, celebrating the fact that they could finally meet. Even though they live only 2 hours driving time apart.
Mohammed highlighted the union situation, while Hekmat underscored the humanitarian aspect of living under such an oppressive situation, and the human cost of the occupation. Particularly the toll taken on the children. How they can't draw pictures of anything but the images from the Occupation and Intifada. Mohammed told a story about how his young boy had been woken up in the middle of the night by one of the invasions of his city. He offered his son to sleep in his bed that night and his son agreed, but wanted to sleep under the bed, because he felt it would be safer than sleeping on top like normal.
They ended by inviting everyone there to come to Gaza and the West Bank and see for themselves the situation they live and work in. The labor committee for peace and justice is putting together a delegation to send to Palestine.
THE TOUR ONLY HAS THREE MORE BAY AREA STOPS!!!! DON'T MISS OUT!
Oakland
Tuesday, Nov. 26 // 6-7:30 pm
SEIU Local 250 Hall (3rd floor)
560 20th Street, Oakland
San Jose
Tuesday, Nov. 26 // 1pm
CWA Local 9423
2015 Naglee, San Jose
Santa Cruz
Saturday, Nov. 30 // 7pm
SEIU 415
517 Mission St., Santa Cruz
Hekmat explained about how this tour is the first time she has been able to meet the other member of the tour: Mohammed Saleh. With reserved laughter at the tragic situation the crowd clapped in response, celebrating the fact that they could finally meet. Even though they live only 2 hours driving time apart.
Mohammed highlighted the union situation, while Hekmat underscored the humanitarian aspect of living under such an oppressive situation, and the human cost of the occupation. Particularly the toll taken on the children. How they can't draw pictures of anything but the images from the Occupation and Intifada. Mohammed told a story about how his young boy had been woken up in the middle of the night by one of the invasions of his city. He offered his son to sleep in his bed that night and his son agreed, but wanted to sleep under the bed, because he felt it would be safer than sleeping on top like normal.
They ended by inviting everyone there to come to Gaza and the West Bank and see for themselves the situation they live and work in. The labor committee for peace and justice is putting together a delegation to send to Palestine.
THE TOUR ONLY HAS THREE MORE BAY AREA STOPS!!!! DON'T MISS OUT!
Oakland
Tuesday, Nov. 26 // 6-7:30 pm
SEIU Local 250 Hall (3rd floor)
560 20th Street, Oakland
San Jose
Tuesday, Nov. 26 // 1pm
CWA Local 9423
2015 Naglee, San Jose
Santa Cruz
Saturday, Nov. 30 // 7pm
SEIU 415
517 Mission St., Santa Cruz
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For more information:
http://www.indybay.org/news/2002/11/154528...
The Palestine General Federation of Trade Unions, the PGFTU, was founded in 1965 and is the federation of nearly all trade unions in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
The PGFTU is a democratic, popular and independant organization, which struggles for the protection of workers rights in Palestine. The PGFTU concentrates on providing legal services and advice to workers who work both in Israel and Palestine, providing workers vocational education, affordable health insurance and protection of women's rights. The PGFTU has a membership of 470,000 which represents 75% of the workforce.
Due to the Intifada and the Israeli occupation, the Palestinian West Bank and Gaza Strip are experiencing a catastrophic economic situation. Palestinian workers, as one of the weakest groups in Palestinian society, have born a disproportionate burden of the problems facing all Palestinians. Unemployment has reached over 50% and workers are increacingly laid off without respect for the law.
In this context, a strong trade union movement is essential to ensure Palestinian workers' rights are protected. Indeed Palestinians are increasingly turning towards the PGFTU for help. Membership has increased since the second Intifada and legalconsultations have more than tripled. Restrictions on movement between Palestinian towns have also meant the individual branches of the PGFTU have had to operate more autonomously, preventing the sharing of resources and adding to the burden of the inividual branches.
These new demands on the PGFTU have led to its resources being streched considerably. Financial income from membership is down considerably due to the inability of members to pay even the small membership fees charged by the union. Today the PGFTU is working to provide basic needs to men, women and children suffering the impact of military occupation, unemployment, lack of access to health care, education and housing, as well as providing legal assitance.
The PGFTU is a democratic, popular and independant organization, which struggles for the protection of workers rights in Palestine. The PGFTU concentrates on providing legal services and advice to workers who work both in Israel and Palestine, providing workers vocational education, affordable health insurance and protection of women's rights. The PGFTU has a membership of 470,000 which represents 75% of the workforce.
Due to the Intifada and the Israeli occupation, the Palestinian West Bank and Gaza Strip are experiencing a catastrophic economic situation. Palestinian workers, as one of the weakest groups in Palestinian society, have born a disproportionate burden of the problems facing all Palestinians. Unemployment has reached over 50% and workers are increacingly laid off without respect for the law.
In this context, a strong trade union movement is essential to ensure Palestinian workers' rights are protected. Indeed Palestinians are increasingly turning towards the PGFTU for help. Membership has increased since the second Intifada and legalconsultations have more than tripled. Restrictions on movement between Palestinian towns have also meant the individual branches of the PGFTU have had to operate more autonomously, preventing the sharing of resources and adding to the burden of the inividual branches.
These new demands on the PGFTU have led to its resources being streched considerably. Financial income from membership is down considerably due to the inability of members to pay even the small membership fees charged by the union. Today the PGFTU is working to provide basic needs to men, women and children suffering the impact of military occupation, unemployment, lack of access to health care, education and housing, as well as providing legal assitance.
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