Workshops on evaluation and management of lobbying and advocacy campaigns

On 3 August, the Palestine-West Bank public service and health sector unions held a workshop on the evaluation and management of lobbying and advocacy campaigns and advanced union organising. Thirty members from health and public service unions attended the session in the Yildiz Hotel Hall.

PSI Westbank Local Coordinator, Ms. Jowairyia Safadi, opened the meeting by noting that “this meeting is being held in trying circumstances where our people are exposed to killings and arrests by the enemy”.

The small groups discussed how social media contributes to the success of the campaigns and developed a set of recommendations that will be included into a future action plan.

Ms. Safadi thanked the participants and PSI at the conclusion of the workshop, emphasizing the need to continue to work towards the success of the campaigns to amend Palestinian labour law.

In Gaza, on 15 August, the public services sector unions held a second workshop in the Al Salam Abu Hasira Hall, on the evaluation and management of lobbying and advocacy campaigns.

With the participation of 25 trade unionists from public services, health services and municipalities, PSI local coordinator Mr Elias Al-Jelda welcomed the attendees and colleagues from the National Coordination Committee in Palestine, highlighting that "this meeting is being held after the difficult circumstances that Gaza has been exposed to as a result of the Israeli aggression". He discussed the impact of the service sector in the current conditions and the realities of Palestinian labour in Palestine.

Ms. Samira Abdel Aleem, PSI's local coordinator in Gaza and in charge of the women's sector in the public services sector, elaborated on the importance of the "Strengthening organizational capacities of women trade unionists" project, outlining its goals, strategies and steps, as well as the challenges faced in the implementation of the project and how to overcome them.

Dr. Salama Abu Zeaiter, head of the Health Services Syndicate, gave an overview of the campaigns that were implemented and their outcomes. The most significant of these was the formation of a coalition of civil unions to support the rights and issues of working women. She also went into more detail about the management of digital campaigns and the contribution of social media to the campaigns' success.

The small working groups came up with a set of recommendations that will be translated into a future action plan.

Mr. Fayez Labad, Municipal Union official, concluded the workshop by thanking PSI and the attendance, reiterating their commitment to the success of initiatives and campaigns to amend the Palestinian Labour Law.