14 Jun 2023

Nass affirms rejection of attempts to redefine "worker" according to gender categories

In line with the stances of the Kingdom of Bahrain under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, refusing intellectual invasion that contradicts the values of Islamic sharia and sound human instinct, the President of the Union of Arab Chambers and Chairman of the Bahrain Chamber Samir Nass, stressed during a speech he delivered before the 111th session of the International Labour Conference held in Geneva,  the categorical rejection of attempts to redefine the term worker to include (LGBTQI+), and imposing its equality in international labor laws in a way that affects the well-established moral foundations in the Arab and Islamic world.

Nass called the ILO to stop double standards and differentiation in setting international regulations and definitions under the pretext of accepting the other and ensuring rights and freedoms, in a manner that contradicts with the standards of international laws and the Charter of the United Nations, which stipulate respect for the sovereignty of states and their concepts and cultures, indicating that there is an Arab-Islamic consensus to renounce and reject attempts to introduce these terms into international labor laws.

He affirmed that the current definition of the worker is sufficient to include all categories mentioned in the laws of Arab countries and is in line with applicable international labor standards and applicable international instruments on human rights, explaining that Arab and Islamic countries are making unremitting and tangible efforts to enhance the protection of human rights, and are sincerely committed to their international commitments in this regard.

Nass stressed the need to address the issue of the rights of Palestinian workers, calling the International Labor Organization to immediately improve their condition by preserving their rights and putting in place guarantees to achieve social justice, noting that the promotion of decent work and achieving equality in accordance with societal controls as well as respecting the rights of others accelerate the transition towards sustainable and productive economies and societies.

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