Category Archives: WFTU

WFTU NEWS

26 Monday Jun 2017

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The WFTU is participating in the two-day anti-imperialist initiative of PAME under the slogan: “With the workers of all countries for a world without exploitation, wars, refugees.”
25 Jun 2017EUROPE, GREECE, PAME
The WFTU participated in the great manifestation of PAME, Greece that took place yesterday, on 24th of June 2017 in Thessaloniki, in the framework of the two-day anti-imperialist initiative of PAME under the slogan: “With the workers of all countries for a world without exploitation, wars, refugees.”

Today, on the 25th of June, the initiative continues with an international Trade Union Meeting where trade unions from the Balkan and the Mediterranean region are taking part.

The WFTU General Secretary, George Mavrikos, greeted yesterday’s great rally.

The President of the Trade Union Organization”SLOGA”, Serbia, Zeljiko Veselinovic, delivered a speech on the behalf of the foreign trade unionists’ delegation.Earlier, WFTU Vice-president Valentin Pacho Quispe laid a wreath on behalf of WFTU at the monument of the Worker, honoring the workers of Thessaloniki and their great history and struggles.

WFTU solidarity statement with the people of Bangladesh

16 Friday Jun 2017

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WFTU solidarity statement with the people of Bangladesh
13 Jun 2017ASIA, BANGLADESH
Once again the working class and the poor people of Bangladesh pay with their lives the criminal lack of protection measures at the workplace as well as at the county’ districts where the popular strata live.

During the last week, 2 new incidents add tens of people in the never-ending list of victims. At least 25 people were killed during the daylong rainfall and the following landslide. Also 3 construction workers were killed as their platform collapsed.

The World Federation of Trade Unions, representing 92 million workers in the 5 continents, expresses its solidarity with the Bangladesh working class and supports their fair demands for protective measures in all aspects of life.

However, while the protection of the workers’ lives is just an additional cost for the bourgeoisie’s budget, the workers have to satisfy their demands through militant, class oriented and relentless struggles.

The WFTU expresses its sincere condolences to the families and friends. The WFTU supports the fair demands of the working class for more than 70 years and calls the workers in every corner of the world to continue the daily struggle for the abolition of the exploitation of man by man.

World Day Against Child Labour – 12th June 2017

15 Thursday Jun 2017

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WFTU Declaration on the World Day Against Child Labour, 12th june

The World Federation of Trade Unions -WFTU-, which is the militant voice of 92 million workers in 126 countries of the globe, on the occasion of June 12th, World Day Against Child Labor, reaffirms its strong condemnation to this anachronistic and barbaric situation.

The WFTU since its foundation has fought by all its means and resources against all forms of capitalist exploitation, either “disguised” or clearly barbarian. Child labor is one of them, and the constant struggle against it is a matter of principle of our world trade union family, especially since it is a form of exploitation that industrialists and other big businessmen had been taking advantage of since the very beginning of their inhuman and exploitative system: The fortunes of bourgeois were created by the hands and blood of children.

Nowadays, the situation remains tragic since 168 million children are working in various jobs around the world, with the picture in the Asia-Pacific region being dramatic: about 9.3% of the child population is forced to work. With the outbreak of the capitalist crisis and the deepening of intra-imperialist rivalries, the exploitation of children is intensifying even more, always with a view to maximizing the profits of multinationals. Child workers are mainly employed in the sectors of agriculture, fishing and mining, while other children work even as modern-day slaves. In fact, immigrant children often suffer double exploitation, even in regions that were boasting about having eliminated this phenomenon, such as Europe.

Most of the time, these children suffer irreparable psychological, intellectual, social or moral injuries while many of them also fall victims of sexual exploitation. Despite the UN, ILO and other international organizations’ declarations, child labor still occurs at a large scale worldwide.

Once again the WFTU is clearly stating that the struggle for the abolition of child labor it more timely than ever. At the same time, it calls on all trade unions to take action so as to guarantee the rights of children. We call for action for:
a) public, free and compulsory education for the new generation. Abolition of all forms of child labor.
b) ensuring leisure and recreation for children, with a view to the healthy development of their psychological and mental health.
c) healthcare for the satisfaction of contemporary needs of the new generation.

At the same time, as class-oriented international trade union movement, we demand the abolition of the terms that figure in the laws of many countries, concerning “consent” of a child to work. Children’s rights are non-negotiable!
Stop to child labor!
Struggle for the protection of children’s rights!

WFTU SG’s Speech in ILO

15 Thursday Jun 2017

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The WFTU General Secretary addressed the 106th ILC Plenary Session today on June 12th, 2017
12 Jun 2017106th ILC, GS SPEECHES, ILO
106ILC – Plenary – June 12,2017

Speech of the World Federation of Trade Unions General Secretary Mr. George Mavrikos

Dear Colleagues,

On behalf of the World Federation of Trade Unions, we would like to extend our warm greetings to all representatives of trade union organizations of workers.

We live in a time period in which life, life quality, work and working conditions for the working class and the poor farmers are getting worse and worse day-by-day in all capitalist world.

The situation for all workers is crucial; the younger generations, the young workers, the young scientists and the young farmers are living in uncertainty and insecurity about the future.

The WFTU tries to organize the resistance and the struggles of trade unions in every corner of the planet, with the aim of defending the rights acquired by workers in every country and sector.

From this podium, we condemn the trade union persecutions in Kazakhstan; we express our solidarity with trade unionists in Colombia who suffer from the violence of paramilitary groups; especially we stand by the side of Colombian trade unionists who struggle against the efforts for dismantling of their trade unions. By the side of the workers in Honduras who struggle for collective bargaining agreements, by the side of Teachers in Mexico in their struggles against the education reforms, we express our solidarity with the ex-Braceros and with our brothers in Angola. We express our solidarity with the teachers and the working class in Turkey who suffer the consequences of the anti-democratic policies of the government of Turkey. We condemn the anti-labor policy of SAMSUNG multinational and we support the Samsung General Labor Union and its General Secretary Kim Sung Hwan who was in prison for 3 years because of his trade union activity.

The situation is complex and uncertain. The severe poverty and high unemployment generate a lot of difficulties in the development of struggles.

But we have no alternative. It is our duty to unite all workers according to the social class they belong to and to organize our resistance, sometimes through the defense, sometimes through the attack; with a flexible and clever strategy so as to have concrete positive results for the benefit of workers.

Along with the struggle for our financial, social, democratic and trade union rights that we must carry-out, we must also strengthen our action against the strategies of imperialism, of multinationals and transnationals that cause bloodshed to many peoples and force millions of people to abandon their country, region and home.

As WFTU, within the international trade union movement, we have at the forefront of our struggles our solidarity and internationalism with the peoples and the countries that are suffering imperialists interventions.

– Venezuela is today the target of the policies of the US and their allies.

– Cuba continues to suffer from the criminal US blockade that lasts more than 55 years.

-The Palestinian people still live without having their own country, while thousands of Palestinian children are imprisoned in the jails of Israel.

– The Syrian people suffer from the attacks of thousands of mercenaries who have been recruited and supported by imperialists.

– The peoples of Iraq, of Mali, of Libya, of Afghanistan, are suffering from undemocratic policies.

-The Gulf region is on fire because of the economic rivalries and intra-imperialistic antagonisms.

-The people of Mexico experience racism and the threats of the US President, who threatens to build a wall and persecute all economic immigrants.

This is the outline of the dark reality of today’s capitalism.

Under these circumstances the world working class, all workers, we need a militant, efficient and active trade union movement. We need trade unions that will have courage, that will withstand, that will be democratic; that they will pay attention to the base of their members and that will unite all workers irrespective of religion, color, gender and language.

In today’s framework the theme of “Building a future with decent work” is more accurate than ever and can be achieved only through class oriented struggles having in their center the satisfaction of workers contemporary needs.

The trade union movement also needs a representative ILO, without exclusions and discriminations; with equal treatment of its members trade unions, with democracy and transparency.

In this direction the WFTU has composed and distributed a text of general principles. We will continue our fight until the current unilateral picture of the Governing Body comes to an end. Proportional representation, equality and transparency are the preconditions for decent work and decent relations.

Thank you.

The international Conference for solidarity with Socialist Cuba

12 Monday Jun 2017

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07 Jun 2017BELGIUM, BRUSSELS, EUROPE
The internationalist event of solidarity with the people of socialist Cuba started today with the participation of 30 trade unionists from 11 countries. The central slogan of the Conference is “Stop to the blockade against Cuba- Return of the territory of Guantanamo to the Cuban people.”

All speakers from the five continents were committed to strengthening their internationalism and solidarity with the Cuban Revolution.

The conference will continue tomorrow.

The presence of Carmen Rosa Lopez Rodriguez from CTC, Cuba and the presence of the Ambassador of Cuba in Belgium, Mrs. Norma Goicochea Estenoz, were of great importance for this Conference.

The Conference was hosted by the non-attached member of the European Parliament Sotirios Zarianopoulos, MP of the Communist Party of Greece, and the hospitality was excellent. (WFTU NEWS)

WFTU extends support to Palestine people.

28 Sunday May 2017

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The WFTU confirmed its Solidarity and Support to the Palestinian People25 May 2017MIDDLE EAST, PALESTINE

On 25th May, in WFTU headquarters in Athens, Greece, the WFTU confirmed its relentless support to the struggles of the Palestinian political prisoners and the Palestinian people.

The heroic people of Palestine can rely on the firm and non – negotiable solidarity of the WFTU until the definitive victory of the Palestinian people against the Israeli occupation and imperialist crimes.

Report of WFTU APRO Meeting at Chennai

21 Sunday May 2017

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The 2017 WFTU APRO meeting started on 20th May 2017 in the city of Chennai India hosted by AIBEA India with the participation of 13 countries affiliates of WFTU and 45 trade unions from all Asia Pacific area.

The meeting is conducted by cde Mahadevan Deputy general secretary of WFTU and director of APRO. In the meeting are also present with important speeches cde Swadesh Dev Roye, deputy general secretary of the WFTU and the presidential council members from the area.

The WFTU General Secretary George Mavrikos has spoken today, May 20th at the APRO Meeting, giving the full picture of the international trade union movement.

The WFTU General Secretary pointed the daily tasks and challenges of the working class, he underlined the need of strengthening the APRO with many activities in all countries and the importance of the trade union formation and training.

The WFTU General Secretary in his speech gave the guidelines of the declarations of the 17th World Trade Union Congress.(Report from WFTU)

US Pensioners in difficulty

20 Saturday May 2017

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I am herewith furnishing a report of the TUI(P&R) regarding the pitiabe condition of the pensioners in USA. Pension is in danger!

US: Pensions on the brink of bankruptcy

The deficit of public pension funds of states and cities in the US threatens to bankrupt much of the country, as happened with Detroit and most recently Puerto Rico. A study reveals that the actual hole system triples the official deficit figures is located at 1.38 trillion. Chicago may be the last city to fall, but the situation is also complicated in Fort Worth, New Orleans, Philadelphia, South Carolina and Dallas. The states of Illinois, Kentucky and New Jersey are not spared.

The pension system deficit amounted to US 3.85 trillion, according to a recent study published by the Hoover Institution. The research highlights the problem of sustainable pensions in the developed economies is about to implode in the short term in several cities and states. Joshua Rauh, study author and professor of finance at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, believes the next financial crisis will occur for this reason and puts Chicago as the first victim, a person who will not be covered in 19 years with the income tax records the city.

Rauh explains that most cities and states offer retirement benefits to public employees who are financed from payroll taxes but used to pay current pensions. ” They hope to cover future costs of upcoming pension with return on assets generated by the system, but even the most optimistic forecasts future spending will be covered , ” he says on the ball of debt that is being generated around public pensions .

Fort Worth, New Orleans, Philadelphia and Dallas also encounter trouble paying pensions in the short term. So that no more solution will make painful choices: raise taxes or cut benefits, which would recognize the failure of the system. The pension problem aggravated the financial situation of these cities. In fact, Detroit went bankrupt in part by the unpayable debt retirements. Puerto Rico, recently filed for bankruptcy law, a pension liability 123,000 million. But it might not be the only case Illinois, Kentucky and New Jersey are poised to become the next Puerto Rico, according to Rauh.

The problem of population aging will occur in the medium term, the paper points out that the main problem is mismanagement of the assets of pension funds. The system needs an annual yield of 7% to cover the liabilities, however, in recent years barely reach 3%. Since the mid-eighties the various state laws have allowed pension funds to increase their exposure to riskier positions outside fixed income, making it harder to comply with the provisions that guarantee the sustainability of the system.

Rauh research shows that the worst asset management raises the deficit of public funds three times more than the liability recognized by states and cities, amounting to 1.38 trillion dollars. The Social Security itself estimates that in 17 years there will be sufficient funds to cover pension commitment if the debt is not raised.

The problem has already broken out in several parts of the country. South Carolina has recognized that the deficit amounted to 24.100 million, three times its annual budget, and it will be difficult to pay pensions in the short term. The pension fund of Michigan public school accrues a liability of 26.700 million after 41 consecutive years having more than revenue expenditure.

In 2014, the federal government under President Obama decided to allow pension funds to cut payments to curb liquidity tensions. Illinois two years ago to the new law filed to reduce the amount of their beneficiaries. Kansas also did the same, reports El Economista.

 

Massive Strike by workers in Greece

18 Thursday May 2017

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A 24 hr general strike was held in Greece on 17 May 2017, as well as the strike rallies and demonstrations of the All-worker’s Militant Front (PAME) in dozens of cities, against the measures which the coalition government of the “Left” party of SYRIZA and the nationalist party of ANEL brought for discussion on that day in Parliament. Protest demonstrations will be organized by PAME all over the country on 18th of May, the day the measures will be voted on.

Thousands of workers through their mass participation in the strike on the 17th of May all over the country declared : ““We will not become the slaves of the 21st century.”

In Athens the strike rally of PAME ended with a large march to Parliament.

It is worth noting that the measures the SYRIZA-ANEL government brought after the negotiations with the imperialist unions of the EU and IMF for the 2nd evaluation of the 3rdMemorandum. It is clear from the results that the government negotiated with the lenders on behalf of the interests of the domestic monopoly groups and not the people, with the aim of accelerating the process of an exit from the capitalist crisis that favours capital.

The new raft of anti-people measures further escalates the assault, thrusts new burdens onto the already struggling popular households, at the same time when better conditions are being formed for the activity of the business groups (such as the new measures to liberalize the market and accelerate privatizations).

In brief, the measures provide for:

· New reductions in salaries and pensions, so for example, with the result that the pensioners will lose a sum equivalent to two months’ pensions a year

· Increase of direct taxation even for those who have a low income, through the reduction of the tax threshold. So, for example, a salaried employee who earns 615 euros a month and who does not pay any direct taxes today, will be called onto to pay up to 300 euros of tax a year, i.e. almost half a month’s salary.

· New reductions in public funds for healthcare spending.

· New cuts to various benefits (unemployment, heating).

· There are other measures to support capital in the new agreement, such as the increase of privatizations, the complete liberalization of mass dismissals for big capitalist businesses, the legislation of new obstacles to the calling of strikes, the consolidation of all the anti-workers laws on collective labour agreements passed since 2011, the creation of new obstacles for the signing of collective labour agreements, the legalization of “lock outs” organized by the employers, the abolition of the Sunday holiday with painful consequences for retail workers and small shopkeepers, with aim of accelerating the concentration of the retail sector into department stores and supermarket chains etc.

These new measures will have a cumulative impact in a period when the situation of most employees and self-employed has already deteriorated dramatically due to the policies both of the previous ND-PASOK governments and the current SYRIZA-ANEL government.

In 2016, 45% of the population had an income under the fixed poverty line.

The GS of the CC of the KKE, Dimitris Koutsoumpas, attended the strike rally of PAME in the Ethnikis Antistasis sq. in Athens and made the following statement to the mass media: “The class war is now in progress, it is a marathon, not a rifle shot in the air. The class war must be a daily and continuous one. The harsh anti-people measures, the 4th memorandum along with the previous memorandums must be thrown in the dustbin of History and the only ones who have the authority to do this are the Greek people, the labour-people’s movement.

For that reason, our call is: Popular uprising everywhere, not a day or hour must be wasted; the struggle doesn’t end today or tomorrow but continues.

The KKE, the class-oriented forces, the militant movement, PAME, the Social Alliance will be present, every day, everywhere, in the streets and in the Parliament, in the factories, in the cities and the villages. This is a constant struggle, which must lead to the overthrow of this rotten and corrupt system, of its governments, for disengagement from the EU, with a social and economic plan which will have at its epicenter the working people, the ever-expanding needs of our people.”

Athens