Labour Minister Abdiweli Ibrahim Sheikh Mudey repeatedly interfered in the affairs of the Federation of Somali Trade Unions (FESTU). In early April 2015 Minister Mudey intervened in the selection of trade union delegates to represent Somalia at the 42nd session of the Arab Labour Conference (ALO), to be held that month in Kuwait City.
The Minister also sent a letter dated 14 April 2015 in which he informed ITUC affiliates that Omar Farouk Osman was no longer the general secretary of FESTU. The Ministry of Information has consistently refused to recognise the democratically elected leadership of the NUSOJ with Mr Omar Faruk Osman as its General Secretary, and had created its own alternative leadership.
The Minister also attempted to take over May Day. In a letter dated 15 April 2015 he informed FESTU that he had appointed an organising committee of 12 members for the country’s May Day celebrations, headed by Deputy Minister of Labour, Osman Libah. The letter also told FESTU that the federation would not be allowed to organise the commemoration of international labour day but that its affiliated unions could make a financial contribution to the cost of the event. The union movement was informed that there were plans to use security forces in order to disband any FESTU-organised May Day commemorations, under the pretext that the Ministry of Labour had not given the green-light for the event to happen – even though there is no legal requirement for workers to get prior permission from the Minister of Labour to celebrate May Day.
In a positive development, the FESTU Congress held on 6 – 7 April in Mogadishu, successfully re-elected Ahmed Osman Said as President and OmarFaruk Osman as General Secretary.
