The region’s departure from the Syrian authorities affected the union and the accompanying legislation Sorry, the video player was unable to load the file.
Idlib Governorate is experiencing the highest population density among Syrian regions in general, in a geographic area that does not exceed 6 square kilometers, after the city and its countryside hosted those who were displaced to northwestern Syria from the areas of the Damascus countryside, Daraa, Homs, the Idlib countryside, and southern Aleppo. This was after the Syrian regime forces took control of their areas between the years 2016 and 2019, making the number of Idlib jump from approximately one and a half million people to 4.1 million people.
The large waves of displacement towards northwestern Syria took place after violent bombing campaigns targeting opposition areas, accompanied by siege and starvation. After reconciliations were signed between the opponents, some of whom took up arms, northern Syria was one of two options for internal displacement, in exchange for areas under the control of the regime, but the majority chose the north for fear of security campaigns and arrests, and according to reports by the Syrian Network for Human Rights, many of the displaced were exposed to the areas of the Syrian authorities. Security pursuits and arrests.
With the new displacement situation, the unemployment rate rose, and many of those of working age found themselves searching for opportunities to secure their livelihood after leaving their property in their cities and towns behind. Civilians leaving Douma in the Eastern Ghouta of Damascus towards Idlib, March 2018 (SANA)
The director of the Syrian Network, Fadl Abdul Ghani, attributes the high unemployment rate in northern Syria to the large waves of displacement practiced by the regime, “which caused great pressure on resources, job opportunities, and the administration of the region (northwest Syria).” The small, densely populated region was unable with its resources to absorb this inflation in the employment rate, in addition to the conditions of the long war that harmed the work sectors and investments. The percentage of unemployed among these displaced people reached “85 percent,” according to the network.
With the dwindling of job opportunities, many have resorted to what is called “day labor,” which is a non-binding agreement for the employer. The agreement is made with the person to work day after day, without any guarantees, so the worker only gets his daily living, under the risk of being threatened with dismissal at any time. Under difficult economic conditions. Waiting for a job offer at Al-Mihrab Roundabout in Idlib (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Poverty and unemployment Khaled Al-Shamali (coming from Homs), who previously worked in a tailoring workshop in Idlib, says: “I was dismissed from work arbitrarily without explaining the reasons.” In order to get a job opportunity, he began going daily to the main Mihrab roundabout in the city of Idlib, where employers frequent to choose workers for one-day tasks, such as loading goods or construction tools from blocks or bags of cement, for approximately $3 a day.
Al-Shamali says: “I do not get job opportunities throughout the month. I may work half the days and sometimes less than that.” Many days I wait for hours without getting an offer and I go home without my daily wage.” High employment rate
Social and political activist, Abdul Karim Al-Omar, believes that “the large waves of displacement, the swelling of the labor force, and the unemployment rate have also worsened the conditions of workers in the region.” Pointing out that the ratio of employment to the population exceeds 80 percent, according to the “Response Coordinators” organization, which is a high percentage, and that “some university graduates have opened small projects of their own due to the limited job opportunities in Idlib and its environs in northwestern Syria.”
Absence of legislation Idlib Governorate fell out of the control of the Syrian regime in 2015, which was reflected in the presence and effectiveness of the unions that were subject to the Trade Union Organization Law No. 84 issued in 1968. Among those unions is the Workers’ Union. The forces that controlled the region did not have parallel civil institutions, such as the Salvation Government affiliated with Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, which was formed in 2017.
Jamila works 10 hours a day to support herself and her family (Asharq Al-Awsat) However, a number of unions were reactivated through collective initiatives from members in the governorate, such as the “Dental Syndicate – Human Doctors Syndicate – Veterinarians Syndicate – Free Economists Syndicate – Syrian Academics Syndicate – Free Syrian Lawyers Syndicate – Free Syrian Teachers Syndicate – Agricultural Engineers Syndicate – Health Services Workers and Nurses Union,” but the workers union was not activated.
Jamila Muhammad Arab (59 years old), who has been working in one of the consortium factories to support herself and her children for 29 years, says: “I suffer from disc and knee pain, but I am forced to continue working, due to the absence of pensions or health insurance.” Jamila works 10 hours a day, and on some days she works 12 hours when there is great pressure at work. But she notes that “the daily compensation does not exceed $2.5, and it barely covers the costs of living.”
In previous years, Jamila used to pay deposits to the labor union, “which secured our rights, including pensions, health insurance, and others.” But at the present time, there is no one for Jamila to turn to to demand her rights.