As part of the partnership project between BWI and the FNV Foundation, the General Federation of Construction and Wood Workers (FGBB) organised three sectoral training workshops on the new legislation related to employment contracts and the prohibition of subcontracting. The workshops aimed to enhance the legal awareness of union members, while analysing legal loopholes and the practical challenges of implementation.

The series began on 25 June 2025, at the union’s regional office in Gabès, followed by a second session on Friday, 27 June 2025, in Nabeul, and concluded with a third workshop on Saturday, 28 June 2025, in Kairouan. The sessions brought together over 85 participants, including 15 women, representing grassroots unions and local structures from across the construction and wood sectors.

The workshops were facilitated by Kamal Omran, a legal expert from the Department of Legal Affairs. He delivered an in-depth presentation on the new law, with a particular focus on subcontracting practices and precarious forms of employment. He also led interactive discussions with participants on how to protect workers’ rights and ensure effective legal enforcement. Beyond the legal aspects, a strong focus was placed on the importance of organising workers at the workplace level, especially within large enterprises and multinational corporations (MNCs). Group discussions emphasised the need to build strong and active workplace union committees, particularly in companies where precarious work and subcontracting are on the rise. Participants shared strategies to strengthen union presence and to collectively defend workers’ rights in challenging environments.

This initiative is part of a broader training program that seeks to equip trade union structures with legal, organisational, and strategic tools to better defend workers’ rights, enhance union presence across the sector, and confront the growing challenges of casualization and outsourcing, especially in the context of privatization and global supply chains.

“Since its inception, the UGTT has always upheld a core principle and that is the unwavering fight against all forms of worker exploitation and the commodification of labour”, said Taieb Bahri, President of the FGBB. He proceeded to say that “this includes combating exclusion and discrimination in hiring, as well as denying workers job security, tenure, and career development."