Daily Star - Harb Majdalani Discuss Palestinian Labor Rights

Daily Star staff

BEIRUT: Labor Minister Botros Harb and his Palestinian counterpart Ahmad Majdalani discussed labor rights of Palestinian refugees on Wednesday during the Eighth Convention for the Lebanese Palestinian Labor Syndicates Union. Harb said the gathering was part of an initiative started in 2005 to amend relations between Lebanon and the Palestinians and provide refugees with a dignified life. He added, however, that rectifying relations did not compromise Lebanon’s independence and stability because naturalization was still considered a threat to the Palestinians’ right of return.
“[US] Middle East envoy George Mitchell, during his last visit to Beirut, rejected any solution that would suggest naturalization … this should help put an end the fears which sparked disagreements in the past,” he said.
Harb then cited the principles to abide by while guaranteeing refugees labor rights: the international community should still be responsible for the refugees; the Lebanese Constitution and its refusal of any naturalization should be respected; labor for Palestinian refugees should be mentioned in legislation; the needs of the market should be objectively taken into consideration; Lebanon’s relations with the refugees should not be compared with other Arab countries; work permits should be regulated and social security should be provided to the refugees with the help of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
But Harb warned against using labor rights to negotiate on Palestinian weapons inside or outside refugee camps or to seek a slow integration of refugees in the societies they live in. “This will murder their identity as refugees,” he said.
“We should find a balance between supporting the refugees’ right of return and giving them their human, social and economic rights,” he added.
Meanwhile, Majdalani tackled bilateral ties between Lebanon and Palestine and said the formation of the Lebanese Cabinet headed by Premier Saad Hariri had contributed positively in reinforcing ties.
He added that Palestinian authorities respected Lebanon’s independence and its laws and did not wish to fight inter-Palestinian conflicts on Lebanese soil. “Palestinians are guests in Lebanon and they respect their hosts until they go back to their country,” he said.
Majdalani then stressed the importance of guaranteeing labor rights for refugees, saying it was the best way to fight poverty and unemployment, and more importantly, the best way to fight terrorist forces that could result from poor social conditions. “On one hand giving refugees labor rights creates ready and capable labor forces that benefit the Lebanese economy, and on the other it guarantees stability and civil and social peace,” he said.
Majdalani also referred to Lebanese laws and decisions that barred Palestinians from practicing certain professsions and said the laws should be reviewed and replaced.
Head of the General Labor Confederation Lebanon Ghassan Ghosn reiterated the importance of giving Palestinian refugees labor rights and added that these rights would not eliminate the right of return.
He said no Lebanese accepted the miserable conditions of refugee camps. – The Daily Star