Jordan – Arab Trade Unions confederations in Jordan, Tunisia, and Morocco hosted today a seminar to launch the Strengthening Social Dialogue in the southern Mediterranean project.
The project, which is implemented by the European Union in collaboration with the International Trade Union Confederation based in Amman, aims to develop the capabilities of workers and trade unions in Tunisia, Jordan and Morocco, in order to promote the application of a comprehensive and dynamic social dialogue and conduct wider consultations with civil society.
The symposium was held under the patronage of the Jordanian Minister of Labour Ali al-Ghazzawi, the Tunisian Minister of Social Affairs, Mr. Mohamed Trabelsi, the Moroccan secretary-general of the Employment and Social Affairs Ministry, Mr. Mohammed Butata and EU Ambassador Andrea Matteo Montana. And was attended by representatives from trade unions and the chambers of industry and civil society networks and economic and social councils in the three countries.
The seminar discussed the mechanisms that the project will follow in order to create and improve an enabling environment for social dialogue between social partners, and to encourage multilateral civil dialogue with civil society organizations and regional and local authorities.
The project will crystallize over the next three years a consensus between the parties, to pave the way to adopt common positions on various topics related to the political and social dimensions that have an impact on labour relations and social development.
The project will also result in developing social dialogue policies and exchange of best practices in this regard in the region, and to develop a charter for social dialogue in the countries mentioned focuses on common positions for all categories targeted by this program.
Head of the Arab Trade Union Confederations and head of social dialogue project Mustafa Talili said that the importance of this project stems from being a collaborative project, as civil society organizations were involved in the process of social dialogue and for the first time, in addition to the government and the trade unions and employers.
Talili added that what make this project important is that it drew the attention of governments in the three countries, and expressed keen interest to be a partner in it.
Tlili pointed out that social dialogue experts who prepare research and studies for the project, is currently working hand in hand with the social partners to come out the results closer to the ground, giving the project a typical character.
Tlili said: Unfortunately, social dialogue stumbles in some Arab countries, and in other countries they do not implement it, therefore social dialogue represents the right way to reconsider social policies, especially in the field of employment, where union employers have field experience in subsequent problematic, for instance, working conditions, that is why we need to consult them when it comes to developing new policies in this area”.
Talili stressed that this project pushes these parties to socialize with governments in the policy-making to reflect further support to reconsider the social and economic situation in the Arab countries.
Jordanian Minister of Labour Ali al-Ghazzawi said that his ministry is permanently seeking to remove any obstacles between them and the worker or the employer. He said that the ministry makes unremitting efforts to develop legislation and other related laws to achieve this goal. He said that the ministry work in accordance with strategies that include programs and plans to fit with the social developments, and is committed to preserving the rights of workers in all sectors and of different nationalities.
He said: The promotion of social dialogue between the partners, is a mean to achieve social and economic progress , many of the southern Mediterranean countries organized social dialogue and supported the institutionalization of the work of trade unions and labor organizations .
The President of the Union of Mediterranean Confederation of Enterprises Jacques Jean Sarraf said that This extraordinary project gathers together all the partners of SOLiD including members of the International Trade Union Confederation and the Arab Trade Union Confederation.
He also added that the timing for the work we are about to start today has come at the right time. Our region is in desperate need to lay the foundations for social justice which, in turn, strengthens society by providing opportunities for all. There is no better place to launch this program than in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The Kingdom is a bastion for social progress and forward thinking, and also geographically at the heart of the region.
The Tunisian Minister of Social Affairs Mohamed Trabelsi said that the Tunisian government and all social parties is very interested is social dialogue because we believe it is the way to preserve social peace, and achieve sustainable development goals.
He said that this is why The Nobel Peace Prize 2015 was awarded to National Dialogue Quartet for its decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia
The Moroccan secretary-general of the Employment and Social Affairs Ministry, Mr. Mohammed Butata said that Social dialogue is important to end labor disputes, indicating that the Kingdom of Morocco has accumulated rich experience in this area.
Butata pointed out that in spite of efforts to strengthen the social dialogue in Morocco, however its effects are limited compared with the ambition in this area where we are convinced of the importance of adopting measures to raise the level of social dialogue.
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