Workers Rights Campaign: Open, Democratic, Class-Oriented, Internationalist

The 16th World Trade Union Congress Concludes

The 16th World Trade Union Congress concluded Sunday (April 10th) with the election of the President and the Presidential Council. Brother Muhammad Shaaban Azzouz was re-elected in the position of the President for the next 5 years. Moreover an electoral procedure took place for the voting of the Presidential Council were 598 representatives and 213 observers (advisory vote) voted for the new Presidential Council.

During the course congress large number of trade union leaders criticized neo-liberal globalization.

Speakers held the neo-liberalism imposed by centres of power responsible for the deterioration of the living conditions of workers and their families, the Prensa Latina news agency reported.

The representatives of the Gabonese Workers’ Confederation said that the austerity measures implemented in countries of the European Union –like Greece and Portugal- to reduce fiscal deficit and public debts will not solve the economic crisis and will only favour the concentration of wealth.

The reformism of several trade union leaders and even treasons have prevented the creation of a common front in defense of classist interests, warned the representatives of the Brazilian Workers’ Confederation.

Women delegates to the forum advocated the creation of a Women’s Committee as soon as possible.

Cuban Osiris Oviedo, representative of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) at the International Labour Organization (ILO) pointed out that the Federation has assumed the defense of women’s rights as a moral duty.

Friday’s evening session was devoted to debates on changes in the statutes of the WFTU, founded in October, 1945, in Paris.

Messages sent by the ILO and the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon were read on Thursday during the plenary session, sending greetings to participants and wishing them success in their meeting.

George Mavrikos, general secretary of the WFTU, presented a report on the performance of the 2006-2010 plan of action, which includes considerations on the Pact of Athens, a document with the guidelines, suggestions and resolutions to be adopted to defend the right of workers to organize.

Salvador Valdes, general secretary of the Confederation of Cuban Workers and vice-president of the WFTU, urged trade unionists to unite, as the only way to achieve better working and living conditions.