The Central Council of the United Workers' Front for the Defense of the Palestinian People held its first meeting via the online platform "Zoom" on February 12, 2025, with the majority of its members in attendance, including representatives from labor unions and organizations, as well as a number of socialist parties from the Middle East and North Africa.
Agenda:
1. Review of the report covering the period from September 22, 2024, to February 12, 2025.
2. Preparation for the convening of the introductory conference of the United Workers' Front.
3. Discussion and approval of resolutions.
After approving the agenda, the meeting sessions began with a discussion of the report, which reviewed the activities and events organized in several countries on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People (November 29, 2024). The Front issued a special statement for the occasion, along with a call directed to labor unions and organizations, translated into Arabic, English, Persian, Kurdish, German, and Swedish.
A series of seminars, solidarity stands, and demonstrations were organized, and these events were utilized to introduce the Front in several countries, including Tunisia, Iraq, Egypt, Japan, Iran, Sweden, Germany, Morocco, Britain, Gaza, the West Bank, and China. The occasion was highlighted through the publication of special editions of labor newspapers, such as Nidal Al-Nidal in Palestine, Sada Al-Ummal in Iraq, and Dengi Krikar in Kurdistan, in addition to newspapers and media outlets affiliated with the socialist parties participating in the United Workers' Front. Several statements were also issued by the Front on various occasions, such as the New Year, the International Criminal Court's decision to arrest war criminals Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, the ceasefire in Gaza, and invitations extended to numerous labor unions in Syria, Lebanon, Mauritania, and Egypt to join the Front, with positive responses received. The Front's slogan was approved, and its internal bylaws were drafted as part of the Front's internal structuring process.
The previous phase was evaluated positively, with an emphasis on the need to enhance preparedness to address the challenges facing the Palestinian cause, especially in light of statements from the new U.S. administration regarding the displacement of Gaza's population, alongside the escalating military campaign against the residents of the West Bank.
Regarding the Introductory Conference of the Front:
The meeting decided to hold the Front's introductory conference on March 15, 2025, under the slogan: "No to Displacement... Yes to a Palestinian State." The conference agenda included: the role of the working class and the Palestinian cause, the conditions of the working class and the masses under occupation, practical steps to enhance solidarity with the Palestinian people, and the issuance of resolutions and recommendations.
It was also agreed to extend invitations to labor unions and organizations worldwide to attend the conference.
Regarding Resolutions:
1. Issuance of an official statement condemning the policy of forced displacement in Gaza and the systematic brutal repression by Israeli occupation forces in the West Bank.
2. Issuance of a statement on the occasion of March 8 (International Women's Day), highlighting the situation of Palestinian women under occupation and war.
3. Launch of the Front's official website.
4. Submission of an official memorandum to the Arab Labor Conference, to be held in Cairo.
5. Sending a message to the British Trade Unions Congress, to be held in London.
6. Efforts to establish branches of the Workers' Front in various countries to strengthen its international presence.
At the end of the meeting, members of the General Secretariat were elected, including: Samir Adel, Mohammad Aloush, Usta Mahdi, Hassan Haymouti, Khaled Haji Mohammad, Kheira Bouneja, Samira Bouhia, Amer Abdullah, Azzam Al-Samadi, Dr. Oweidat Khalaf, Dr. Fatima Fouad, Dr. Karima Hafnaoui, Mohammad Kamel, and Raja Al-Kassab.
Date: February 14, 2025