WFTU Statement on May Day 2017
20 Apr 2017
1 MAY , MAY DAY
“But, if you think That by hanging us, you can stamp out the labor movement – the movement from  the downtrodden millions, the millions Who toil and live in want and misery – the Slavic wage – expect salvation – if this is your opinion, Then hang us! Here you will tread upon a spark, purpose there, and there, and behind you and in front of you, and everywhere, flames will blaze up. It is a subterranean fire. You can not put it out.”

August Spies, 31, on August 20, 1886. One of the leaders hanged in Chicago, USA.

The World Federation of Trade Unions on the occasion of the International Workers’ Day on May 1st conveys its militant greetings to all the workers of the planet Who struggle for the fulfillment of Their contemporary needs through their trade union organisations.

May Day is a landmark in the workers’ Struggles all over the world, since 1886 the demands of migrant workers in Chicago are still relevant today. Their continuous struggle today in the struggle for permanent work with rights, social security, free health and education, dignified life. Like Then, in Chicago the migrant workers, who had gone to the USA for work, Stood in the first line of the class struggle, aussi Nowadays the millions of migrant workers can Intensify the Struggles contre capitalist barbarity with active Their and militant participation in the trade unions.

This year is marked by the sharpening of the intra-imperialist Antagonisms because qui Even Greater intensification of the exploitation of the peoples, as well as the risk of a generalized war. The Developments in Africa, Middle East, Asia and Europe Prove the aggressiveness of the capital Against the workers’ movement, make Thousands of people turn to immigration to escape the war zone, while the US and the European governments pretend That They Want to help the Refugees to survive.

The workers all over the world are worried about the aggressiveness of the US government, of NATO and Their Allies Who in order to gain new markets and rob the natural resources of the countries, are Bombarding the peoples of Syria, are killing children in Palestine are pushing the Venezuelan people to civil conflict, are Threatening with the use of nuclear weapons in the Korean peninsula area. They are Those Who dropped the Largest conventional bomb in Afghanistan, They Are la même Imperialists Who Support and Collaborate with gouvernement du Ukraine qui est supported by fascists, They Are la même Who Tolerate media and the Israeli policies in the Middle East.

These intra-imperialist Antagonisms are Deteriorating Even More the financial position of the workers and the pensioners. There is a generalized cut in salaries and pensions, privatizations in social security, public health and education, Increase of unemployment, “black” work and restrictions of trade union Freedoms. In this general picture the working class and the peoples are being prepared for the celebration of the militant May Day 2017.

The WFTU calls its affiliates and friends in every corner of the world to honor the International Workers’ Day with every means clustering and in Any Way possible to unite Their voices and shout:

“We organizes our struggle Against the Imperialistic barbarity, for the contemporary needs of the people and the youth, for a world without exploitation and wars”

The WFTU Representing 92 million workers in every continent of the world conveys icts internationalist solidarity to the heroic people of Cuba Who will host the WFTU Presidential Council on May 3rd-5th, to the workers of the world Who are fighting Against the imperialistic aggressiveness.

In 2017, partner after the 17th World Trade Union Congress, the WFTU is stronger, with new strengths, new affiliates, Above All aim with ict resolutions.

We are organizing Even More Strongly Widely and our common stock in every country, in every continent, for the emancipation of the working class, for the struggle for our rights and needs. Against the operating system That provokes poverty, wars and Refugees.

The peoples’ enemies are not invincible,
Invincible are the Struggling Peoples.

(Machine Translation)

THE SECRETARIAT