Trade union head says labor laws don’t protect Gaza's workers

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions head Sami al-Amasi discusses working conditions in the Gaza Strip, in light of growing poverty and increasing unemployment levels.
Palestinian boy Abed al-Kareem Yassin, 16, works at a construction site of a house in Gaza City March 21, 2016. Yassin, whose father is unemployed, earns 40 Shekels ($10.3) per working day, and he and his two brothers are the main breadwinners of his family. The boy, who quit school, hopes to be a mechanic. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem SEARCH "SALEM LABOUR" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "THE WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES - RTSCT7H
A 16-year-old Palestinian boy works at a construction site for 40 shekels ($10) per day in Gaza City, Gaza, March 21, 2016. - REUTERS/Mohammed Salem
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Rasha Abou Jalal
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GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — In 1965, the PLO established the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU), an independent labor organization with the mission of defending the interests of the Palestinian working class against potential violations by their employers or the ruling authorities and ensuring workers' rights in accordance with Palestinian Labor Law.

There are approximately 70,000 members in the PGFTU, which consists of 12 unions for workers in the following sectors: hotels, restaurants and tourism; agriculture and industry; petrochemicals; construction; health; municipalities; banking and insurance; public services; transportation; communications and information technology; weaving; and fishing.

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