05/05/2026
Amidst the rubble, Gaza workers and unions stand up to demand rights and dignity
Gaza – 30 April 2026 - The Democracy and Workers’ Rights Center (DWRC) in Gaza, in partnership with the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate and a number of labor unions, organized a protest vigil in front of the Journalists’ Tent in Gaza City on the occasion of International Workers’ Day, and in conjunction with World Day for Safety and Health at Work, under the slogan: “Gaza Workers – Rights and Dignity.”
This vigil took place amid harsh humanitarian and economic conditions that workers, both women and men, continue facing in the Gaza Strip, with the aim of amplifying their voices and conveying their suffering to the world. It also aimed at shedding light on the grave human rights violations they face in the context of the ongoing aggression, the deterioration of working conditions, and the absence of protection.
Participants emphasized that workers in Gaza are not only facing widespread poverty and unemployment, but systematic violations of human rights, human dignity, and the fundamental rights to life and work. Protesters raised banners calling for the protection of workers, an end to attacks against them, and the guarantee of a safe working environment that upholds their human and professional rights.
Participants also addressed messages to the international community, reaffirming their demands and rights as guaranteed under international law, and issuing an urgent call to the international community and the International Labour Organization for immediate action. They stressed the need to ensure international protection for workers, to end the blockade and its devastating impact on the economy and labor market, and to launch large-scale emergency employment programs, particularly targeting youth and graduates. They further highlighted the importance of supporting the reconstruction of economic facilities and small enterprises, ensuring access to occupational safety measures and comprehensive healthcare, including psychosocial support, providing fair compensation to injured workers and the families of those killed, and involving workers in recovery and reconstruction processes.
Participants also called for strengthening oversight of workplaces and enforcing the Palestinian Labour Law, preventing arbitrary measures against workers, improving working conditions in a manner that guarantees human dignity and social justice, protecting the rights of women workers and preventing discrimination against them, and ensuring safe working environments. They further stressed the need to activate the role of the Ministry of Labour and trade unions in protecting workers and holding violators accountable.
At the end of their vigil, participants called for intensified international efforts to put pressure for an end to human rights violations and to accelerate the start of the Gaza Strip’s reconstruction, particularly in industrial zones that once provided livelihoods for tens of thousands of workers, as a means to mitigate the worsening poverty and unemployment rates in the Gaza Strip.
