Monday, 14/04/2025 – Ramallah
The Culture and Training Unit at the Democracy and Workers’ Rights Center held a consultative workshop on occupational health and safety issues with partner unions. The participating unions included the Palestinian Electricians’ Union, the Union of Workers and Employees of Qalqilya Municipality, employees of the Southern Electricity Company, the Health Services and Postal Services sectors, Palestine Technical University – Khadoorie (Ramallah and Al-Arroub branches), the Modern University College, construction and building workers, garment workers, and the New Trade Unions Federation in Tubas.
The workshop began with an introduction to the Center, the purpose of the event, and an overview of the participating groups. It started with filling out a diagnostic form to assess the unions’ status regarding occupational health and safety. The form addressed items related to occupational health and safety committees and supervisors, a healthy and safe work environment, and the role of unions in monitoring health and safety issues in workplaces.
The workshop focused on discussing the importance of occupational health and safety across various sectors and workplaces. It emphasized the role of the occupational health and safety supervisor, outlining their qualifications and their role in supporting the workplace to ensure it is safe, healthy, and decent for workers.
Professor Jihad Abu Al-Rub, a lecturer at the Modern University College, presented a recently published research paper in an international scientific journal on occupational safety management and its relation to institutional sustainability. The research also explored the psychological aspects affecting both workers and employers in this field. His presentation was part of the workshop aimed at unions, to strengthen their role in shaping occupational health and safety policies within various Palestinian institutions.
The workshop continued with each union presenting its situation regarding occupational health and safety issues individually. The participating unions agreed on a common goal: to establish occupational health and safety committees, formalize their operation within internal regulations, and work on training a staff member specialized in occupational health and safety, assigning them exclusively to this role and including it in their 2025 action plan as a result of the consultative workshop held today. Alternatively, previously formed committees will be reactivated in coordination and follow-up with the Center.
The unions emphasized the importance of adhering to occupational safety standards and measures, especially in sectors that involve mobility and interaction with the public—such as postal services and the health services sector, where workers are exposed to chemicals, radiation, and long-term risks of occupational injuries and diseases. They also highlighted the electrical sector, where workers deal with wiring, installations, and high voltage, which can sometimes lead to fatal incidents.
In conclusion, the union representatives put forward a set of recommendations centered on the need to continue organizing and implementing workshops for responsible bodies, administrative committees, employers, decision-makers, and the general assemblies to raise awareness of the importance of occupational health and safety. They also stressed the importance of collaboration with the Ministry of Labor through dialogue sessions that include the tripartite parties, increasing the number of unions participating in meetings and workshops, revisiting related topics, and implementing necessary amendments in light of the diagnostic form findings.
The recommendations further included ongoing follow-up of the unions’ work and that of the occupational health and safety committees, sharing their success stories, conducting more specialized workshops on occupational health and safety, and intensifying awareness sessions and workshops that address topics such as workplace injuries, related rulings, and legal procedures. Special focus was also placed on engaging new union members in the Center’s activities.
This workshop is part of a series of activities implemented by the Center on issues related to occupational health and safety, under the project titled “Promoting Workers’ Rights in Occupational Health and Safety.”
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