The Trades Unions International of Workers of the Building, Wood, and Building Materials Industries (UITBB) strongly condemns the legal attack its member organisation in Lebanon is under. Specifically, the National Federation of Workers and Employees Trade Unions in Lebanon (FENASOL) and its president, Castro Abdallah, are subjected to an unprecedented attack against freedom of association and trade union rights.
The construction company “MAN Enterprise” has filed a lawsuit against FENASOL and comrade Castro Abdallah, alleging incitement. This company has a history of high levels of labor rights violations, including forcing workers to sign contract terminations, withholding payment for overtime hours, and depriving them of proper healthcare in case of workplace accidents. FENASOL is fighting back with legal action, aiming at defending the rights of workers, specifically their right to unionize freely and independently and to protect their fundamental rights.
This attack on the workers is indicative of the attack the working class is under throughout the world by the capitalist order. UITBB and its members around the world will continue fighting for workers such as the ones in Lebanon whose rights are taken away, dying for the profits of the capitalists.
UITBB strongly condemns this attempt to intimidate union leaders and divert them from their responsibilities towards workers and employees. We call upon the Lebanese Ministry of Labor to assume responsibility and conduct inspections at the company’s worksites to halt these labor rights abuses.
On behalf of the millions of construction workers around the world under UITBB, we express our full solidarity with com. Castro Abdallah and call on the Lebanese authorities to protect his right to engage in union activities and to investigate the violations occurring in this company. We also call upon all our organisation-members to condemn these actions and send solidarity letters to FENASOL, as well as protest letters to the Lebanese Ministry of Labour.
Long live international solidarity!
UITBB Secretariat
UITBB Secretariat
