| Jordainian 
              PM warns trade unions against US boycott Abul 
              Ragheb warns trade unions form politicizing its works
 Arabic News,Jordan, Politics
 29 June 2002
 
 
 The Jordanian Prime Minister Ali Abul Ragheb has warned the Jordanian 
              vocational trade unions from giving priority to the political activism 
              and called on them to concentrate on trade union activity. Jordanian official sources said that this warning came after the 
              Jordanian security on Tuesday prevented vocational trade unions 
              from organizing a festival to encourage boycotting of American goods 
              in protest of the American bias to Israel. During his meeting on Thursday with heads and members of the vocational 
              trade unions councils members Abul Ragheb warned of "giving 
              trade unions priority to political work so as this will not negatively 
              reflect on its vocational performance." Abul Ragheb stressed "trade unions laws do not permit politicizing 
              vocational work and the government refuses trade unions to side 
              with any part or political side," according to the same sources. In statements following the meeting, Hashem Gharebah, the chairman 
              of the vocational trade union said that the government insisted 
              during that meeting on its position in "rejecting to permit 
              trade unions to organize a festival for boycotting the American 
              goods." Gharebah stressed that on the basis of the right of 
              the citizen to self expression, the trade unions cling to their 
              position in "rejecting any form of normalization with Israel 
              and boycott of the American goods." The 13 Jordanian trade 
              unions include 100,000 subscribed members.
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