Inception, Objectives, Activities A demonstration in Hamra Street - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

The Lebanese Observatory for the Rights of Workers and Employees- LOWER

Inception, Objectives, Activities

A demonstration in Hamra Street 1970 protesting the increase in prices of movie tickets

Students sit-in early seventies

Demonstration protesting Intra Bank crisis

1974 The Bread Demonstration

Women’s protest in Furn El-Chebak

The onset of the trade union before independence An active movement at the beginning of the civil war Dispersing syndicates,

• ut casting

their leaders, neutralizing their role,

1920 1920-1930 1930 1975 1975-1990 1990 1990 1990 …

The trade union movement

Made-up trade unions with no effective members Inactive role of trade unions Buildup of court files

• n human

rights A neutralized role of the socio- economic council Neutralization

• f the

accountability and regulatory institutions Inadequate union skills and information among the working force Weak knowledge

• f human rights

and commitment among syndicate leaderships Increased dependence in recruitment

• n the

sectarian leader The growing phenomenon of day workers and contractors following the decision to stop recruitment in the public sector

The current status of the trade union movement

Inadequate laws and regulations that do not support the economic and social rights of the working and middle income classes Lower job prospects, increase in unemployment rate among youth, more jobs in informal sector Trade unions comprising less than 5% of laborers from all sectors Frequent violations of basic rights of workers Rise in the number of foreign workers with total disregard

• f their basic

rights which creates unjust conditions to the domestic labor force Workers and youth mostly unfamiliar with their basic rights

The current status of the workers’ movement

Birth of the LOWER

• A number of zealous civil society activists and unionists, as well as teachers,

lawyers and others, agreed to set up the observatory in 2010 as an independent civil association.

• Observatory members advocate the values of justice, freedom and equality

and are committed to principles supported by all international conventions, declarations and agreements on human rights, particularly, the International Convention for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, in addition to recommendations set by the International Labor Organization as a benchmark for practice and vision.

Message

We seek to build a non-sectarian society, governed by the principles of citizenship and a just democratic civil state, where citizens fully enjoy their economic, social and political rights equally and without discrimination

Methodology

The Observatory seeks to deliver the following: knowledge and awareness on the rights of workers and employees; capacity building and methods of confrontation; monitoring and following up of related social, civil and economic policies; monitoring and challenging violations of those rights and legislations, and defending them in coordination with local and international associations

• concerned. The Observatory also works on developing national laws in

compliance with the principles of the International Labor Organization and social and economic justice.

Methodology

The Observatory seeks to deliver the following: knowledge and awareness on the rights of workers and employees; capacity building and methods of confrontation; monitoring and following up of related social, civil and economic policies; monitoring and challenging violations of those rights and legislations, and defending them in coordination with local and international associations

• concerned. The Observatory also works on developing national laws in

compliance with the principles of the International Labor Organization and social and economic justice.

Methodology Convey knowledge Capacity building Monitoring network

Stand for, advocate Develop legislations

Media Training, advocacy Violations, policies Legal support Studies, debates

Information website/awareness publications, films/ network of friend reporters Training on rights/young unionists/advocacy

• n human rights/ training of arbitrary council

members Monitoring network in the regions/network

• f partner communities/ network of partner

activists Consulting /partner lawyer firm/advocacy, individual, group support cases Studies on socio-economic situation/annual report/monitoring of policies/meetings, debates

Scopes of work

Tools

Main achievements, activities of f Observ rvatory ry 2010 2010-2015 2015

Convey knowledge Capacity building Monitoring of policies Stand for and advocate Develop national legislations Develop studies

ePortal

www.le .lebaneselw lw.com

Number of hits exceeded 5 million guests since 2012

Production of awareness films

 Awareness films aired on local TV stations on May Day Emergency work Pregnant women Arbitrary layout  Film depicting fresh graduates’ experience in labor market  “A thread and a needle” film on women sewing workers  Four films on labor contracts: definition, permanent contract, consultation work, temporary contract  Two posters

Production of awareness materials (films)

Production of awareness material (handbook)

 Laborcontracts: a handbook targeting university and college graduates defining in simple terms the legal issues to be noted in labor contracts,  Handbook on the labor arbitration council (still under construction)  Many articles aided with pictures on role and mechanism of the labor arbitration council, with description of the labor and social security legislations

Production of awareness materials (publications)

Network of friend journalists

 Creation of a network of journalists,

economic and educational editors in various media channels across Lebanon

 Organizing introductory meeting on the

• bservatory, other networks monitoring

violations of economic and social rights

 Cooperation between media people and

journalists to promote and broadcast press releases, announcements by observatory and exchange data

convey knowledge Capacity building

Monitoring of policies Stand for and advocate Develop national legislations Develop studies

Training of 130 activists/individuals

• n labor and social security related

laws in preparation for setting up a national network for monitoring violations (2012-2013)

• Training of 50 activists working in

Palestinian camps to monitor work violations

Training of Reporters

A meeting with Judge Arlette Jreisati for consultation and legal advice in preparation for training of workers reps at arbitration councils

Training of Workers Reps (at Labor Arbitration Councils)

Convey knowledge Building capacities

Monitor violations and policies

Stand for and advocate Develop national legislations Develop Studies

• Set up monitoring networks in the regions comprising partner

associations, syndicates and organizations. These networks are channels for receiving the workers’ complaints (reporters are mediators)

• Publish periodical reports monitoring activities of the labor movement

(3 annual reports 2012-2013-2014)

• The network provides media coverage for the regions, advocacy for

workers

• The network of reporters write periodical reports and articles on our

website

Network of monitoring in regions

Convey knowledge Capacity building

Monitoring violations and policies

Stand for and advocate

Develop national legislations Develop studies

 Advocate and support human rights issues

• A support and advocacy meeting with

Cadbury workers, providing them with information/knowledge, expertise in group negotiations

• Training of member of Spiennys workers’

syndicate, supporting them in holding elections

• Provide media support for various labor

actions, stands

Advocacy

Advocacy

Publishing articles on the Observatory’s ePortal which serves as a tool of accountability and support for the popular movements demands, namely in the issues of electricity, public administration and the national drug department, in addition to films about day workers, marine and coastal law

Legal Consultation

Provide hundreds of consultations annually for grieved workers and employees online or by phone

convey knowledge capacity building

monitoring policies

Stand for and advocate

Develop national legislations

Develop studies

Develop legislations, laws

• Prepare the ground for legal measures to modify the mechanism and

increase efficiency of the labor arbitration councils

• Organize a dialogue workshop with judges, unionists/ the Legal Agenda

team on the mechanism of above councils and the role of labor ministry, with the participation of lawyers, unionists and arbitration council

• members. The workshop identified points of weakness and issued

relevant recommendations

• Organize wide follow-up sessions with unionists, legal figures and activists

to draw recommendations for the required modifications

Convey knowledge Capacity building

Monitoring policies

Stand for and advocate

Develop legislations

Develop studies

Studies and Reports

• Publish a study on day workers in public departments and

institutions/ public sector

• Contribute to the periodical civil society report: Lebanon 2014-

2015

• Publish annual reports on unionist and labor movements actions

(2012-2013-2014)

• Prepare a study examining the scope of knowledge among youth

and students, their insight about labor, social security regulating legislations and inclusion of such laws in national curriculum (still under preparation)

• Meet with the press and media to launch socio-economic and law

issues.

Additional activity

The Permanent Forum for Economic and Social Dialogue

The Observatory partook in the initiative for two purposes:

• To revive the socio-economic council as a space for dialogue
• To start activating dialogue between various components of the Lebanese society

(workers, employers, teachers, syndicates, free professions, etc) Achievementsـ

• Set up a general committee, follow-up committee for the forum
• Dialogue workshop on the special economic zones- with Tripoli as an example
• Plan and prepare an advocacy campaign to reinstate appointment of the socio-

economic council

Current activities by Observatory

Convey human rights knowledge (among students, fresh graduates)

With the support of Diakonia-Sweden, the Observatory is currently implementing its 2015 project which includes the following:  Assessment and examination to incorporate the labor and social security laws into programs of vocational and university institutes  Prepare, print and distribute a labor contracts handbook  Organize training and awareness meetings to discuss work contracts, targeting some 20 higher education and vocational schools  Advanced training for a group of college students in their senior year on the labor, social security contracts (students majoring in law, social studies, management, public relations, etc)  Work to incorporate and expand introductory subjects on labor contracts in the curriculums

Diakonia also supports and partakes in an initiative aimed at developing the institutional work of the Observatory and promotes labor and management mechanisms to cope with the Observatory’s rapid development and successive achievements Our partnership with Diakonia-Sweden is strategic, kicked off in 2012 and still on.

Convey human rights knowledge (among students, fresh graduates)

Convey human rights knowledge (promote legal awareness, monitor violations among Palestinians)

We work in partnership with the Norwegian People’s Aid and Palestinian partners to promote human rights knowledge via students and the civil Lebanese and Palestinian societies. The purpose is promoting advocacy capacity to the end of substantiating the right to work as stipulated by international conventions and modifying prevailing laws accordingly.

The starting date of the project, 1/6/2015 and completion by 31/5/2016

Project synopsis  In-depth reports on the socio-economic situation, workforce in 4 Palestinian camps  Inclusive study for Palestinian labor in the field of construction, including the camps  Meetings with Lebanese/Palestinian students to explain challenges and obstacles of work for Palestinians  Collective training on violations’ monitoring skills  Provide free of charge legal consultations, follow-up of cases  Edit and publish a handbook on labor arbitration councils

Convey human rights knowledge (promote legal awareness, monitor violations among Palestinians)

Daily and ongoing duties of Observatory

Monitoring and online publishing of articles and features related to socio-economic rights  Writing a couple of weekly articles, preparing files and articles from the headquarters and regions  Monitoring and documenting violations, as well as socio- economic policies  Compiling awareness material, visual, videos and publications  Providing free of charge legal consultations, follow-up of cases for individuals, groups

The observatory’s strategy 2016 2016-2020 2020

Proposed objectives, programs, activities

Increasing awareness, knowledge on human rights relevant to labor, social security

Building capacities of parties concerned with workers’ demands, step up court proceedings, rulings involving workers

Objectives

Stand for and advocate Developing legislations regulating rights

• f workers

Monitoring violations, policies and legislations Developing studies on the current labor market, workers’ conditions

increasing awareness, knowledge on human rights relevant to work, social security

• Develop and activate an information unit to broadcast,

publish workers’ issues, concerns

• Prepare various media materials on issues addressed by

the Observatory (posters, televised ads)

• Organize workshops, activities at universities and

vocational institutes to spread awareness, knowledge among youth

• Activate, develop a website, enhance social media and

journalistic efficiency (features, interviews, articles)

Objectives

• Develop legal skills, expertise of

workers’ reps and unionist squads

• Organize legal and human rights

related training workshops for lawyers, workers reps

• Activate labor arbitration councils

Building capacities of parties concerned with workers’ demands, step up court proceedings, rulings involving workers

Objectives

• Develop monitoring and reporters networks,

enhance their capacities across regions

• Monitor, broadcast violations of the rights of

workers and employees

• Monitor, publish and document with the aid
• f related local newspapers, publications,

websites

• Monitor socio-economic related policies,

legislations

Monitoring policies, violations, legislations

Objectives

• Follow-up lawsuits of individual

Lebanese or non-Lebanese workers

• Conduct lobbying, advocacy

campaigns for amending relevant legislations

• Provide free of charge legal

consultation

Stand for and advocate

Objectives

• Revise certain labor and social

security related laws

• Develop legal, legislative studies

(mechanisms of court proceedings, etc)

• Check the backlog of cases in the

labor arbitration councils

Develop legislations regulating rights

• f workers

Objectives

• Develop studies about specific areas

concerning workers (informal work, social security, industrial laborers, etc)

• Publish, mainstream relevant studies

and promote debate around them

Developing studies on the current labor market, workers’ conditions

Objectives

Since the official launch of the Observatory back in 2011, it saw a considerable development and many qualitative achievements and forged a noticeable presence among other local associations and organizations. It is now a reference for social, economic and human rights concerns, particularly that it is the only specialized labor watch in the country. The Observatory is also distinguished by its good relations and partnerships made possible by the efficiency, experience and dynamism of its management, combined with its previous incomparable action in the field of human rights and trade unions, as well as the efficacy of its working team.

Programs

Hence, it was necessary to collect all the resources and talents and generate a strategy for the coming years revolving around 3 development programs.

Programs

Programs

Institutional development Information unit Legal support unit The Observatory develops into an institution, with a working mechanism, structure and policies; plans to set up support information and legal units Set up an information unit to support, advocate workers’ issues, actions, with a design to establish a data center Set up a legal support unit to take legal action in defense of workers, study legislations, amend relevant laws, develop labor arbitration council mechanisms

Programs

(by years)

Develop managerial system

2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Identify functions of various divisions, human resources, fundraising Develop new structure for legal and information units Upgrade management to become an incubator for the information and research center Develop an archive system for labor arbitration councils, enhance observatory’s ePortal Develop information unit/reporters’ network/ consultants network Finalize archiving system /studies Develop Observatory into a reference for information, research institution for social rights Collect and document cases, archive digests Build capacities, develop studies to amend laws Set up a committee of lawyers/ consultants for legal defense Advocate for amendment

• f legislations and activate

mechanisms of sentencing, court rulings

Institutional development Information unit Legal support unit

Projects (by years)

Continuous work in partnership with Diakonia, partner associations,

• thers

Continue current students project with Diakonia/labor project in Palestinian camps with NPA Awareness project on women’s rights in light of labor and social security laws Prepare a study, project on informal workers Prepare, publish handbook about labor arbitration councils Build capacities of workers reps, lawyers at arbitration councils The Observatory developed into an entity for monitoring, empowerment, individual and collective advocacy and defense in court, a research reference and data center for socio-economic rights

2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Institutional development Information unit Legal support unit

Thank you