Dear Workers,
This year, workers around the world celebrate International Workers’ Day against the backdrop of a global political climate
increasingly hostile to economic and social rights. We are witnessing a tightening of public and individual freedoms, a
consequence of the sweeping rise of the far-right following more than 70 legislative and presidential elections worldwide in
2024.
This complex international context is compounded by ongoing wars, armed conflicts, and political divisions across various
regions, raising alarming prospects. International legal and arbitration systems are proving incapable of curbing the expansion
of hegemonic policies, particularly in the Arab region.
Many countries in the region have become theaters of war, armed conflict, and political instability, most notably Palestine,
Yemen, Syria, Libya, and Lebanon. People of these nations continue to bear devastating human and developmental costs,
with no viable solutions in sight to end these crises.
Development indicators from these countries clearly reflect the extensive harm endured by their populations, particularly by
workers. Poverty and unemployment rates have reached alarming levels, and there are serious signs of imminent economic
collapse. Restoring stability and achieving peace have thus become existential imperatives for the future of these peoples
and their workers.
Dear Workers,
Both international and Arab trade union movements have long advocated for peace and the rights of oppressed peoples.
They have taken historic stands to end wars and halt arms races. In 2022, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
introduced the initiative “Common Security, for Our Shared Future.” Today, we are engaged in a new struggle: to defend the
principle of global peace, a principle humanity has tirelessly fought to uphold.
This battle demands the mobilization of all human capacities, with women and youth at the forefront, to counter the rise of
right-wing populist rhetoric and to promote public and individual rights and freedoms.
The labor and trade union visions for sustainable peace are rooted in economic, social, and human rights foundations. Social
dialogue has consistently demonstrated its effectiveness in resolving conflicts and overcoming challenges, while democracy
has enabled the fair distribution of wealth and strengthened social cohesion. These are proven trade union tools essential for
absorbing political crises and securing lasting stability.
Building peaceful and stable societies is an urgent necessity. This requires participatory policies that bring workers, their
representatives, women, and youth to the decision-making table—without exclusion or marginalization. It follows the United
Nations’ approaches, which recognize the transformative potential of trade unionists, women, and youth, given their strong
presence in workplaces and public life, their direct engagement with economic and social challenges, and their relative
independence from entrenched political interests.
Dear Workers,
As we mark this year’s International Workers’ Day, we are called upon to intensify our efforts to support stability and peace
across the Arab region. Our message advocating for peaceful, democratic, and stable societies must resonate widely—both
physically and virtually—to counter the narratives of populism and incitement.
We are confident in our ability to prevail in this struggle and to achieve another victory for the free and democratic trade
union movement.
Wishing all workers a prosperous International Workers’ Day.
Long live the trade union movement—
Free and steadfast in advocating freedom and peace.
Hind Benammar
Executive Secretary
Arab Trade Union Confederation
English 
العربية