The main labour movement, the Federation of Somali Trade Unions (FESTU), today commemorated this international day by saluting "the workers who endure the worst forms of abuse and exploitation”.

"Today, we celebrate workers’ day in a country where very few people are still in formal employment, workers are verbally employed & dismissed with no written contracts, 1972 undemocratic labour code is de-facto law of the land, where a government minister believes that he must have a say on the name and existence of a national trade union, a country where almost all workers are informal economic workers and the remaining workers, including civil servants, are earning poverty wages. So today is workers’ day in a country with no formal workers” said Omar Faruk Osman, General Secretary of FESTU.

FESTU has used the occasion to accuse the previous government of failing in its major responsibilities of creating decent jobs, promoting investment, paying its own workers and setting the tone and foundation for economic progress and development.

"Creating decent jobs, eradicating poverty and reducing inequality has to be the top priority for the new federal government with the support of business and trade unions as these are key ingredients to economic success” insisted FESTU General Secretary.

Workers are under siege and there is an attack on trade union rights by reckless government officials who are single-minded to undermine trade unions, says FESTU leadership who warned the government that the labour movement will not relent its fight to preserve its basic rights.

"The government must call its anti-trade union officials to order before it is too late to distance itself from being perceived as anti-trade union government” added Osman.

The labour federation bewailed the poor working conditions of public sector workers. "Particularly we are concerned that civil servants have borne the brunt of government’s failure to revive the comatose economy. There have been unending delays in paying civil servants and now they do not even know when the pay date is” said Osman.

FESTU called for a new developmental trajectory in which the government drives development and directly provides basic goods and services as opposed to letting everything to the private sector.

Trade unions demanded the government to "revert back to rule of law, including respecting and implementing international labour standards and ILO conventions” and to introduce "progressive and worker friendly harmonised labour legislation”.