To better understand the work of the Youth Committee, we had the opportunity to talk to Jalal Belmami, President of the ATUC Youth Committee, and Farah Abdallah, head of the Youth Department at the National Federation of Worker and Employee Trade Unions in Lebanon (FENASOL). They provided us with a detailed overview of the missions, prospects, and purpose of this vital body within ATUC.
Jalal Belmami explained that, for its 2022-2026 term, the Youth Committee has set ambitious goals derived from extensive consultations and interactive dialogues. These objectives can be summarized as follows:
· Assessing positive achievements and preserving the activist spirit.
· Intensifying engagement and actively contributing to the Equality Forum.
· Enhancing performance in terms of mentoring and training.
· Strengthening the presence of young people within the trade union movement as well as within advisory and executive bodies.
· Establishing foundations for building participatory and inclusive relationships with international youth movements.
On her part, Farah Abdallah stated that “ATUC has prioritized youth engagement as an absolute necessity, aiming to address the growing lack of trust observed towards the trade union movement in the Arab world in general and particularly in Lebanon. Our organization has chosen to involve young people in various structures, allowing them to represent the organization in different seminars and conferences. Despite the numerous challenges, we, the youth, are increasingly convinced that beyond traditional trade union activities, unions must focus on sustainable development goals and integrate them into their work programs. This is an effective way to motivate young people to engage and advocate within the trade union structures.”
Promoting the Participation of Young Workers:
The Youth Committee is making every effort to encourage the participation and engagement of young workers in trade union activities. Jalal Belmami explains that “in the face of social and societal transformations, and in line with the new necessities and representations of Arab trade union action today, considering the evolving skills and knowledge of this category of young employees, the ATUC Youth Committee has included three fundamental pillars in its executive program”:
1. Empowering young workers at the regional and national levels to engage in trade union life and contribute to trade union decision-making, with particular emphasis on communication support.
2. Strengthening their perspectives regarding professional life and workplaces (by applying and improving laws and contracts and expanding their scope to access the right
to decent work for all through social dialogue and collective bargaining), utilizing training cycles.
3. Enhancing their impact in social and community life by addressing the needs of young workers in workplaces and their social, economic, and political aspirations, addressing organized and unorganized labor issues, strengthening dialogue with civil society, and diversifying partnerships to highlight and bring closer the image, values, and agenda of trade union work among the youth through networking and alliance-building support. These three pillars are translated and realized through 24 activities and initiatives spread throughout the current term.
Main Concerns of Arab Youth Workers:
The primary issues and concerns of Arab youth workers require a proactive approach to provide the most suitable solutions. Jalal Belmami emphasizes, “We aim to identify the problems faced by Arab youth workers, analyze them, and propose specific solutions to initiate the desired change. This requires management skills, a work culture, practical knowledge, and advanced work techniques, much of which is acquired through the various networks convened by the ATUC, which support us in our work.”
Farah Abdallah adds, “Our main goal is to encourage young people to understand and join the trade union movement. That’s why today we are opening our doors to students, allowing them to undertake internships and benefit from the legal training we offer. We also engage with young people on women’s rights, combating child labor, and early marriages. We are opening our offices to welcome university students so they can conduct their research or carry out professional internships in collaboration with universities. This way, they can fulfill their university studies and their final projects.”
Support for Skill Development and Training:
The Youth Committee is implementing initiatives for the skill development and training of young workers in the Arab region. Jalal Belmami explains that “in addition to in-person training sessions, whether through independent programs or in cooperation with ATUC partners, the Youth Committee is intensifying efforts for a stronger presence on the digital platforms provided by the organization. The Young Trade Unionists Academy is now considered a training and development institution for young people, offering distance learning opportunities through technological platforms. Furthermore, the Young Trade Union Leaders’ page on Facebook facilitates communication, experience sharing, and coordination of initiatives.”
However, the members of the Youth Committee face certain challenges, as Farah Abdallah explains: “The biggest challenge we encounter is the lack of time and financial resources, especially to cover travel expenses.” Despite these challenges, the Committee remains determined to support Arab youth and achieve its goals in terms of representation and active participation.
Campaigns and Initiatives of the Youth Committee:
The Youth Committee has led several campaigns and initiatives to improve the working conditions of young workers. Jalal Belmami lists some of these campaigns: “One of the flagship campaigns is Yalla Maana, which aimed to support the membership, mentoring, and awareness of young workers. There was also the campaign Youth, Our Rights, which advocated for the rights and demands of young people, as well as the campaign No Abandonment, organized to
prevent young people from being left to fend for themselves. Additionally, we participated in the It’s Time campaign launched by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), in collaboration with member organizations, with the aim of strengthening and consolidating the organization of young workers within unions. Other campaigns have also targeted combating workplace harassment and urging governments to ratify International Convention No. 190.”
Through its Youth Committee, the Atab Trade Union Confederation continues to support and empower Arab youth, working towards equitable representation and active participation in trade union activities and decisions. By enabling young workers to fully engage in trade union life and contribute to decision-making, the Youth Committee lays the foundation for a more inclusive and prosperous future for workers in the Arab region.
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