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I believe that the Middle East is undergoing a transformation
not seen since the liberation struggles of the mid 50s in Africa.
You must be getting feedback from your affiliates on the ground.
What is that feedback?
This is clearly a momentous time for the Middle East.
What we are witnessing right now is a social and political change
that will hopefully transform the whole region towards democracy
where trade unions are allowed to have agreements for workers rights
and human rights are respected.
But it appears to me that something is missing in the news,
the role of the workers, the trade unions, especially the young workers.
In fact, the discontent started with the workers organizing strikes,
because they aren’t getting their rights.
Young workers face precarious work and many of them are unemployed.
So they started organizing and expressing their discontent.
I am proud to be a Filippino.
In 1986, we had the People Power revolution.
It’s the same story and we succeeded in tackling down the Marcos dictatorship.
It was a momentous time in my country.
But we failed to transform the society,
the political revolution to a social revolution where social justice exists.
I think it is important to our colleagues in the Middle East
that this revolution shouldn’t just be a political revolution.
It is a revolution that will transform society to democracy
making sure that social justice exists,
making sure that decent work is present,
workers are respected and human rights are respected in the region.
This is very important.
You think that your affiliates on the ground
are going to have a voice at the table in Cairo?
Let’s use Cairo as an example because as we speak today it’s been Tunis and Cairo.
I don’t know what tomorrow will be like.
Do you think that your affiliates, that the trade union movement
needs to be at the table in Cairo to make sure that this transformation occurs?
You know there is no institution supported by the people,
the opposition don't believe anymore.
They just speak their mind, stay there until change happens.
I think that this is the role of the trade union to come up,
to articulate this voice, to be part of the negotiation, to make sure,
it is not just protesting against.
It is also proposing change. I think this is important.
Today, the international trade union movement will have an international day of action
going to the Egyptian embassy
and many other parts of the world participate
to express the position of the trade union movement
and to support the voices of the ordinary workers in the Middle East.
This is not just about political change.
This also about making sure that the people, the social change happens
and workers have decent work and have the right to form a union and have collective agreements.