Labor Movement in Postwar Lebanon

Book excerpt: This study aims at assessing the effectiveness and adaptability of labor movemen t in face of the constraining environments in postwar Lebanon. Labor movement in Lebanon is represented by the General Confederation of Labor known as CGTL (Con federation Generale du Travail au Liban). Since its inception, this organization had its own dysfunctions such as low union density, unrepresentative internal s tructure and periodical internal divisions that accompanied it through different historical periods. Despite these anomalies, the CGTL was able throughout its h istory to preserve certain autonomy from the state and to achieve tangible gains for workers. Yet, this effectiveness was drained gradually in postwar period an d this ironically coincided with the rebuilding and consolidation of the State. Compared with both prewar and war times, the CGTL in postwar period suffered fro m unprecedented problems emanating to a large extent from the practices of the p ostwar political establishment and to a lesser extent from the economic context. This thesis addresses this interaction between the political consisting of the quasi-authoritarian practices of the state which aimed at containing the labor m ovement and the economic consisting of a neo liberal economic project which does not accept labor organizations as partners in development. The thesis also trie s to study the reaction of the CGTL to this constraining environment. For this a im, a historical comparative method will be adopted. A comparative overview of t he changing roles of unions in developed and developing countries will guide our study on the changing roles and effectiveness of labor movement in postwar Leba non compared to war and prewar times.