WORLD FEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS

Athens, 23th May 2018
WFTU solidarity statement on the postal employees’ strike in India
The postal employees’ unions in India went on indefinite strike yesterday after
the ending of the last deadline where government had promised that would
implemented the pro-employee recommendations of Kamalesh Chandra
Committee Report.
The World Federation of Trade Unions, representing more than 92 million
workers in 126 countries of the 5 continents expresses its solidarity with the
postal employees in India and supports their fair demands. We also greet
the fact that the strike is supported by all the sectoral trade unions, closing as
a consequence,129500 Branch Post Offices.
The class orientation and class unity are key factors for the covering of the
workers demands. The international class-oriented trade union movement,
openly and firmly, stands on the site of the working class. The workers all over
the world can always rely on the support of the WFTU.
The Secretariat

The World Federation of Trade Unions, gathering in its ranks more than 92 million workers in 126 countries all over the world, follows the recent developments concerning the withdrawal of the U.S.A. from the international nuclear agreement on the nuclear program of Iran and the announcement of new economic sanctions against Iran by the U.S.A. The U.S.A. once more uses false pretexts in order to exploit the natural resources of other countries and to serve the interests of national large monopoly groups.

These actions, combined with the missile attack of Israel against Syria on May 10, are a new form of aggression against the peoples of the Middle East that put them at great risk and further destabilize the situation in the region.

We call on the workers, the ordinary people of the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East to strengthen their struggle against the imperialist plans and interventions that cause wars and misery to the peoples for the profits of the imperialists.

On May 9, 1945, in occupied Berlin by the Red Army, the Nazis signed their
surrender to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, putting an end to World War II
or the Great Patriotic War.
On June 22, 1941, the Nazis invaded Soviet borders and arrived at the gates of
Moscow mobilizing about 4.5 million soldiers with the support of 600,000 vehicles, 750,000 horses and about 2,700 aircraft (more than half of the German air force). Forced to retreat because of the resistance, the new Nazi strategy aimed at taking
control of Stalingrad, where in July 1942 the most cruel and violent battle of the
whole war began. The Red Army and the armed people resisted against the conquest of every block, every street, every house, every room. Workers’ militias were formed. One of the
stages of this heroic struggle was the tractor factory where the workers entered the
fight against heavily armed invading troops. On February 2, 1943, Stalingrad was
liberated. When the Red Army was already advancing to the capital of the Nazi state, Hitler
commits suicide, on April 30 and May 9, 1945, the Germans accept the surrender
to the Soviets. This was a decisive strategic victory for the future of mankind. It changed the global
correlation of forces in favor of workers and peoples and has boosted national
liberation movements and decolonization. It was on this historic track that, on
October 3, 1945, the World Federation of Trade Unions was founded. However, 73 years after that date, the threat of a new World War hovers over
international relations. US imperialism and its allies of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) promote conflicts that seriously threaten world peace and
make, in old and new forms, fascism and intolerance grow in various forms. The WFTU salutes the anniversary of this epopee by reaffirming its commitment to
the defense of world peace, the rights of the peoples, in particular the working class
while being convinced of the socialist perspective as the future for humanity. Long live the 9 of May of 1945, Victory Day of the Soviet Union over Fascism and Nazism!

The Secretariat Meeting of WFTU was held at its HQ on 7th May 2018. CITU was represented by Com. Swadesh Dey Roy, Secretary CITU who is also the Vice-President WFTU.

WFTU solidarity statement on the three days’ mass action in India
09 Nov 2017ASIA, INDIA
A huge countrywide three-days’ mass action against the anti-worker, anti-people and anti-national policies of the government has started at the Parliament in the National Capital of India.
The protest is organized by the Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions, comprising Central Trade Union Organizations and all major industry/establishment wise federations and tens of thousands of militant workers are attending the demonstration from every corner of India.

The Joint Trade Union Platform represents workers and employees from all major sectors of industries and services viz., coal, steel, transport, telecom, petroleum, electricity, port & docks, engineering, construction, scheme-workers etc and employees of Central government and state government, Railways, banks, insurance, defense production, etc.

This protest is intended to demand the government to concede the unanimous demands which the joint trade union movement has been raising since the last over eight years. It is a step towards preparation for the next higher phase of united struggles including indefinite countrywide strike action, if the government continues to ignore the demands of the workers and proceed with its pro corporate agenda.

The World Federation of Trade Unions and its 92 million workers in the 5 continents join their voices with the Indian working class and its militant struggle against the anti-labour policies of the government and the bourgeois class their country. We express our support and solidarity to the class-oriented trade union movement of India and we want to affirm that will stand on their side for the fully acceptance and implementation of their fair demands in favor of the popular strata and the ordinary people.

The Secretariat

A workers meeting with participation of hundreds workers was held in Kolkata, India on 10th October 2017, on the occasion of the annual WFTU TUI meeting. The following Resolution called “Kolkata (India) Conclusion” was adopted by the Meeting:

KOLKATA (INDIA) CONCLUSION

This WFTU – TUI annual consultation meeting is being held around one year after the 17th World Trade Union Congress in Durban, South Africa and around five months after the meeting of the Presidential Council of WFTU in Havana, Cuba. It is being held in a situation when the systemic capitalist crisis is deepening and the capitalist class continues its attempt to protect and increase their profits by shifting the burdens of the crisis on to the working class and other sections of the toiling people. All the hard won rights and benefits of the working class are under attack.

This onslaught has to be fought nationally and internationally. TUIs have a big responsibility in leading this fight. They have to develop and strengthen sectoral and coordinated movements in their respective sectors throughout the world under the guidance and with the support of the WFTU.

The ideology of the WFTU, the understanding of the 17th Congress of the WFTU about the world situation and the role of the class oriented trade unions have to be taken to the grass root level workers in our respective sectors.360

TUIs are major bodies of class oriented trade union movement. They have the fundamental responsibility of defending the rights of the workers in their respective sectors including the trade union rights, of linking the workplace with the WFTU.

The basic principle of functioning enunciated by WFTU, of ‘open and democratic functioning’ should be duly reflected in the functioning of all our TUIs. Hence, whatever shortcomings in the functioning of the TUIs exist today have to be overcome with a sense of urgency.

To ensure this, we have to take up the following tasks:

• All TUIs to meet regularly, discuss the developments in their industries, the conditions of the workers in their industries and their struggles in various countries at the global level. Mechanism for regular sharing of information among all affiliated unions across the globe to be evolved and effectively implemented.
• Support the struggles of workers in their industries across the world, plan solidarity actions and implement them; inform WFTU Secretariat about these struggles for broader support and solidarity
• Plan activities that would help ideological development of the working class in their respective sectors
• Review implementation of decisions and progress in all meetings and formulate activities accordingly
• Strengthen coordination among the various affiliated unions of the TUIs and between the TUIs and the WFTU to develop effective global resistance to the global onslaught of the capitalists
• The 150th year of publication of ‘Das Capital’ to be observed to spread awareness about the inherent exploitative nature of the capitalist system and raise the consciousness of the workers on the need to change the system and the role of the working class in ending exploitation.
• TUI affiliates are to take up the day to day problems of workers, analyse objectively from working class angle the cause of problems and organise struggle to fulfil the demands of the workers.
• TUIs to work for developing unity with the farmers, students and self employed people.
• TUIs have the task of promoting international solidarity with workers from other sectors and countries.
• TUIs must pay attention to the diabolical developments of political refugees and economic migrants facing inhuman atrocities internationally which is directly linked to barbarity of imperialism and capitalist crisis.
• TUIs must act as powerful lever of struggle against capitalist barbarism pursued by monstrous multi-national corporations (MNCs).
• To take precise efforts to improve the functional position of the TUIs, with specific attention to strengthen the fund position of the TUIs in order to expand their function and activities.
• To undertake study at regular intervals to trace down the development in industries with facts and figures with a view to educate the cadres and masses internationally and send the reports to WFTU Secretariat.
• To establish co-ordination between the Regional Offices and TUIs in each Regions, so as to help each other and the implementation of collective programmes.
• TUIs must continuously promote the WFTU amongst the grass root level workers and unions and bring them into the WFTU family. This should be an important parameter to judge the organisational success of all the TUIs.
• TUIs must participate in the activities of the different forums of WFTU and implement the campaign and action programmes time to time decided by the WFTU including observation of the Action Day on 3rd October every year
• TUIs must democratically elect leaders in their Congress ensuring that the new cadres and leaders are active and effective in discharging the responsibility of the office they hold in the respective TUI.

This meeting held at Kolkata, India on 9-10 October, 2017 with representatives from Nine TUIs requests the WFTU Secretariat to concretise the various proposals and action programmes by the TUIs. The Secretariat of WFTU may ensure communication to the TUIs regularly and extend class oriented ideological and organisational support to the TUIs.