Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the World Federation of Trade Unions.

The International Class-oriented Trade Union Movement, the workers, and the militant unions all over the globe honor with struggles the 139th anniversary of the workers’ struggle in Chicago in 1886. The World Federation of Trade Unions, the most historic international trade union organisation, representing more than 105 million workers all the length and breadth of the world, sends a cordial and militant message to all the workers and farmers, to the ordinary people of toil and labor, on the occasion of International Workers Day, which constitutes a lasting and bright milestone of struggle.

This year’s May Day coincides with the 80th Anniversary of the WFTU, which was born in the ashes of the most destructive war in the history of humanity in the revolutionary fresh air of the great anti-fascist victory of the peoples with the Soviet Union at the forefront, and completes 8 decades of continuous and uninterrupted struggle for the rights of workers, for justice and social progress, against all forms of discrimination, against wars and imperialist interventions, against may by man exploitation.

Both the messages and demands of the Chicago pioneers of 1886 and the needs that inevitably led to the establishment of the WFTU remain relevant and necessary today. The crisis of capitalism deepens and is generalized. Social inequalities are widening dramatically. Democratic freedoms and trade union rights are under attack all over the world, and the imperialist wars and interventions are on the daily agenda.

The genocide of the Palestinians in Gaza and in the West Bank, the bombing in Lebanon and other countries of the wider Middle East region, with the support and encouragement of the USA, the EU, and their allies, continues, revealing in all its grandeur the hypocrisy, cynicism, and inhumane nature of imperialism.

At the same time, global defense spending rose to 2.46 trillion USD last year, with big budget increases in countries of Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe. Notably, there are examples of countries that are almost doubling their defense spending. At the same time, the USA President Trump calls for a minimum spending of 5% of GDP among NATO members, and the EU Commission Summit decided to finance 800 billion euros for military armament within the ReArm EUROPE project.

The shift towards a war economy is clearly a priority for the ruling circles of capitalism, as it incites profitability for multinational monopolies and the expansion of the geopolitical power of developed imperialist states.

These new massive increases in military spending, apart from being a threat to global peace and security, also mean even harsher austerity policies and widening social inequality. The resources that would be destined for families, workers, and ordinary people are cut and diverted to rearmament, and civil and social rights and liberties are placed under guardianship, because in the preparation for war, different opinions are not allowed.

The WFTU and the class-oriented trade unions strongly condemn the war preparations of the bourgeoisie. The popular strata have nothing to expect from a new widespread and generalized war but death, poverty, destruction, refuges, and hardship. We demand spending for the contemporary needs of the workers and the peoples. We demand adequate education and healthcare and not weapons. We demand dignified working and living conditions and not ammunition and missiles. We demand spending on culture, sport, and recreation, and not fighter aircraft and naval vessels.

We demand measures against rising inflation and living costs that erode living standards. We oppose privatization, outsourcing, and flexible forms of work that intensify the precarious employment and exploitation, alongside extended retirement ages.

The Workers and social achievements are under relentless attacks and challenges undermining labor rights, collective agreements, and democratic freedoms. Workplace safety remains neglected, causing daily injuries and fatalities. Despite global challenges, workers do not passively accept the anti-labor offensive on their rights and freedoms. Millions mobilize worldwide for dignified work and the protection of trade union and social rights with the WFTU members to be firmly at the forefront of these struggles. The response of bourgeois governments to the just popular demands is the sharpening of state repression and authoritarianism. At the same time, employers and governments are attempting to manipulate labor struggles, betting on the role of yellow unions and compromised trade union leaders.

In our era it is obvious that the prerequisites for truly dignified working and social living conditions for all workers exist in abundance. The class-oriented trade union movement fights so that the huge productive capabilities are not utilized to increase the profits of capitalists and create unimaginable wealth for a few, but to ensure dignified living and working conditions for those who create and produce the wealth.

Organization and struggle is the only path that can overturn the existing realities of misery, exploitation, and social injustice. The weapon of workers everywhere is solidarity and internationalism. The WFTU remains firmly committed to these principles. It continues its 80-year path with the same vision that inspired its founding: for a world without wars and imperialist interventions, without exploitation and discrimination. A world where work will be permanent, stable, regulated, and safe.

On the occasion of May Day 2025, the WFTU calls upon the class and militant trade unions around the world to take initiatives and organize this year’s campaign and activities under the slogan:

Their profits or Our lives – Hope lies in peoples’ struggle

ΝΟ to war economies

YES to the class struggles:

-against the imperialist wars and interventions,

-against capitalist exploitation,

-for the satisfaction of the workers’ contemporary needs.

Let the WFTU flag proudly wave along with the flags of the militant trade unions in the uninterrupted class struggle for stable work with rights, social security, free public, and universal health and education, a dignified life. This will be the highest and proper celebration of the glorious 80-year course of struggles, sacrifices, and dignity of the international class-oriented trade union movement.

LONG LIVE MAY DAY!

LONG LIVE INTERNATIONALIST SOLIDARITY!

LONG LIVE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WFTU!

#International #Labor #WFTU

The World Federation of Trade Unions, representing 105 million workers across the globe, extends its fullest support to the militant strikes being launched by the U.S. Teamsters Union members against the gigantic Amazon corporation. Thousands of workers at 7 Amazon worksites across the United States struck on December 19, and additional strikes are planned. The Amazon corporation continues its lawless and dictatorial campaign against its workers who want to join trade unions, and are demanding better pay and conditions. Inaction and paralysis on the part of the U.S. government in the face of this outrageous Amazon company conduct has pushed the workers to take this strike action.

The class struggle in the U.S. is sharpening, and the WFTU extends its complete support for the just demands of the Amazon workers and encourages all its affiliates and friends to express their solidarity the strikers. Workers at Amazon all across the world are in motion, organizing against the company and its monstrous treatment of its employees. Support the Amazon Workers! Support the Amazon Strikes!

#Labor #WFTU #Amazon #Strike

The World Federation of Trade Unions, representing more than 105 million workers who work live, and struggle in 133 countries all over the world, strongly condemns the continuation of military interventions and wars, the accelerated militarization of international relations and confrontational rhetoric, the soaring of the military expenditures, as well as the NATO plans amid the escalating intra-imperialist confrontation. The 2024 ΝΑΤΟ summit which will take place in Washington D.C. on 9-10-11 July 2024, constitutes one more step toward the intensification of NATO’s aggressive imperialist plans, interventions, and wars.

NATO has already announced an increase of its military budget for 2024 by 12% to 2.03 billion euros and its civil budget by 18.2% to 438.1 million euros increasing even more the operating capacity of NATO Command Structure headquarters, missions, and operations around the world. This year’s figures confirm the continuation of an at least 10 years-long course of moving towards a “war economy” for the member states of NATO, with NATO’s Secretary General emphasizing that “burden sharing is improving within NATO” while military spending is up 18 percent across European Allies and Canada in 2024, and 23 member states will spend at least 2% of GDP in military spending this year.

The International class-oriented trade union movement unequivocally condemns the war plans of the imperialists and strongly opposes the uninterrupted increase of the NATO budget which sharpens even more the confrontation and deepens the preparations and the risk for a generalized imperialist conflict with disastrous consequences for the popular strata and the ordinary people who always pay the cost of the imperialist antagonism.

NATO’s history demonstrates nothing but interventions, wars, juntas, refugees, starvation, destruction, and death. In addition, the continued soaring in military spending constitutes a provocation for the people who constantly see their living standards affected due to generalized price rises, inflation, and long-term austerity policies.

The militant class-oriented trade union movement intensifies the struggle against imperialist wars and the system that creates them. The WFTU fights for the dissolution of NATO which constitutes an aggressive war machine in service of the imperialist interests of its member states, aiming to maintain, and expand if possible, the existing favorable correlation of forces for the NATO countries in order to safeguard the profits of their monopolies.

Simultaneously we reiterate our firm demand for the immediate dissolution of all military coalitions, the complete abolition of nuclear weapons, an immediate end to all imperialist armed conflicts, and full respect for the sovereignty, independence, and right of every people to freely choose their present and future. We denounce the exclusions, discriminations, embargoes, and sanctions imposed by the US, NATO, and the EU against various countries, negatively impacting the standard of living of low-income families, workers, poor small farmers, and popular strata in general.

The WFTU calls upon workers all over the globe, the militant trade unions to join the ranks and the struggles of the international class-oriented trade union movement for lasting peace, for a world free of imperialist interventions and man-by-man exploitation.

#WFTU #NATO #EU #Militarization #Imperialism #Exploitation #Peace #Labor #TradeUnion

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the World Federation of Trade Unions.

The World Federation of Trade Unions, on behalf of its 105 million workers in the 5 continents, expresses its full and unconditional solidarity with the workers of the automotive industry in the companies of GM, Ford, and Stellantis in the United States of America.

Thousands of workers are on strike for the last weeks, demanding wage increases, insurance, decreasing of working hours. Their just demands, are faced with a full-frontal attack by the employers, who have started the redundancies.

The WFTU expresses its firm internationalist solidarity with workers in the USA and fully supports their just demands, especially at a time when the companies are gaining millions in profits and the workers are suffering the aftermath of the new capitalist crisis and inflation.

#WFTU #Statement #UAW #Strike #Autoworkers

The World Federation of Trade Unions, representing 105 million workers in 135 countries, expresses its solidarity with the workers of France who will go on an indefinite strike, on Tuesday, March 7, against the pension, a reform project that President Macron wants to impose.

Indeed, after 5 days of strikes and demonstrations throughout the country since January 19, the class-oriented trade unionists of France have decided to launch a new strike in the strategic sectors of the country to make the government bend.

Calls for a renewable strike and economic blockage have been launched among railway workers, at the RATP, in refineries, in energy, in Agroalimentary factories, in trade, in chemicals, in ports and docks, among garbage collectors and sewer workers, highly organized sectors where the WFTU has many affiliates in France.

The challenge is to lead all the workers and the popular masses to get out of the losing strategy of “trade union lobbying” and “social dialogue” to go and demand, through strikes and struggle, the satisfaction of goals against a government that brutally defends the exclusive interests of the big capitalist companies.

Far from the hypocritical support of the ETUC and the ITUC for the “demonstrations”, the WFTU will strongly commit itself to the unfailing and concrete support of the strikers in France, as it did in 2019.

We call on all WFTU affiliates to concretely express their support for the workers of France in the struggle.

Comrades and workers of France: as in 2019 when you brought down President Macron’s points-based retirement plan, we have confidence in your militant spirit and your ability to win!

#France #WorldFederationOfTradeUnionsWFTU #WFTU

On Monday morning 6th of February, a massive earthquake reaching 7.8 degrees on the Richter scale struck the region of southern Turkey – north Syria, followed by tens of aftershocks and a second major earthquake reaching 7.5 degrees.

At the time the shocked humanity is still counting the victims in both Turkey and Syria, as the death toll reached 15 thousand, tens of thousands are injured, and hundreds of thousands are homeless seeking shelter in severe weather conditions. WFTU can’t stay silent about the fact that imperialist forces have imposed sanctions on Syria.

The sanctions on Syria have been affecting the Syrian people for years now, resulting in a lack of fuel, electricity, medical supplies, and industrial machines that are essential to every country and nation for their daily life. The Syrian people had already suffered enough from the war, and they deserve a chance to live freely and with dignity.

Today in light of this catastrophe, these sanctions must be lifted immediately, as they are affecting the search and rescue operation after the disastrous earthquake. The sanctions against Syria are prohibiting heavy machinery and medical supplies even food supplies from entering Syria and now, more than ever, they are necessary for the survival of tens of thousands, and for rescue operations of people that are still stuck under the debris of their own homes.

The WFTU demands the immediate withdrawal of the imperialist sanctions against Syria, to put an end to the barbaric and inhumane policies of blockades and embargos. These policies are killing people that are stuck under the debris, killing the injured with a lack of medical supplies, leaving tens of thousands in streets to face harsh weather conditions, and leaving hundreds of thousands without any usable infrastructure.

We stand beside the General Federation of Trade Unions of Syria and the International Confederation of Arab Trade Unions and we support their struggle for the release of affected people. We once again call the Trade Unions and the workers all over the globe to express their practical solidarity and practical support through the launched campaigns to make less painful this huge disaster.

The Secretariat

#Syria #WorldFederationOfTradeUnionsWFTU #WFTU

The World Federation of Trade Unions, which represents 105 million affiliates in more than 130 countries around the world, expresses its solidarity with the workers of France who are called for a general strike and demonstrations throughout the country on Thursday January 19, 2023 against the Macron government’s plan to raise the legal retirement age to 64.

The WFTU recalls that the French Social Security, which is an achievement resulting from the workers’ resistance against the Nazi occupation and which was set up by Ambroise Croizat, the CGT leader and communist Minister of Labor at the Liberation, is far from being in bankruptcy.

It is put in financial difficulty by the exemptions from huge social security contributions that the Macron government grants to the big capitalist monopolies.

The WFTU trusts in the great combativeness of the workers of France and their class struggle unions, which are many of its affiliates, to defeat this government attack as they did during the historic general strike from December 2019 to March 2020, when the Macron government had to withdraw its unjust reform.

As usual, the WFTU and its affiliates from the 5 continents will support the struggle of the workers of France until victory!

#France #AntiwarMovement #generalStrike #WorldFederationOfTradeUnionsWFTU #WFTU

Rome, Italy – The 18th Congress of the World Federation of Trade Unions is being held in Rome, Italy May 6 – 8. Nearly 500 delegates came from 96 countries, with many more participating online. The WFTU represents 110 million workers in 133 countries, mostly in the global south. For the first time in over 50 years, there were delegates from the United States, with representatives from AFSCME 3800, the University Minnesota clerical workers union, and Roofers Local 36 from Los Angeles. Both unions have affiliated to the WFTU in recent years. Also participating from the U.S. was a leader of the newly-formed Starbucks Workers Union, who attended as an observer.

The first day featured speeches from General Secretary George Mavrikos (Greece) and President Mike Makwayiba (South Africa) who both called for the unity of the working class under a banner of militant class struggle oriented unionism. Also speaking were union leaders from Brazil, Nepal, France, Cuba, India, Venezuela, Trinidad, Guatemala, Palestine, Laos, Peru, Nigeria, Colombia and Germany. All talked about the failures of capitalism to address the pandemic, the need to build democratic, fighting unions, international solidarity, and to stand strongly against imperialist war and aggression.

#RomeItaly #Rome #WorldFederationOfTradeUnionsWFTU #WFTU

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU).

Dear colleagues,

Another year is coming to an end. Another year is added to the history of the WFTU and the world class-oriented movement. Another year made us cry and laugh, without losing not even for a moment our optimism for the best days to come for our class, thanks to our struggle and our firm political perception.

Making a brief assessment, as is usual at the end of each year, we will see that some things are repeated monotonously, but also new things are born, filling us with optimism for the future of the working class and popular strata.

In 2021, the inadequacy of this system to provide a solution to vital issues of humanity was revealed even more strongly. It was revealed that no matter how tearful the speeches of the political servants of the great multinationals are, they are not at all interested in the life and prosperity of the poor, the workers and the peasants, the women and the youth.

Since health and science serve the profitability of big capital, they can not deal with the pandemic properly and hundreds of thousands of people are still losing their lives due to COVID-19, due to the inadequacy of downgraded health systems, and not because the disease is invincible. In addition, to cover their own responsibilities, they skillfully try to divide workers, between vaccinated and non-vaccinated. But they have no answer for the millions of people in poor countries of the third world, that do not have access to vaccines due to financial weakness!

In 2021, we experienced once again the drama of refugees being used as a lever to pressure foreign policy of the states. They care very little about people drowning in the sea, or dying from landmines trying to cross borders and from hardship and diseases in hot spots. Their wars for the control of the wealth and the quest for new fields of profit are an unstoppable machine of misery.

In 2021 we faced the explosion of high prices in energy and in all basic goods, because as always the price of the economic crisis is paid by the peoples so that the big capitalists do not pay.

Repeated lockdowns have caused great losses in the world trusts and now they have to make up for the lost profits. Therefore, in the 21st century, even in the so-called countries of the first world, people are in danger of dying from the cold and from starvation!!!

In this framework, and despite the difficulty of distance meetings, the WFTU and the world class-oriented workers’ movement took action. Many seminars were held on issues that concerned and still concern workers around the world and mobilizations were organized on the occasion of every small or important issue of the working class in each country. The WFTU World Action Day on October 3 highlighted the timely demand of workers for a dignified life. International Campaigns for Palestine and international solidarity symposiums with Cuba and Venezuela were organized.

In 2021 significant strikes that resulted in the conquest of workers’ demands also took place. The repression and legislation that in many countries tried to put obstacles in trade union action did not discourage the workers, but instead increased their determination and militancy.

Finally, in 2021 with great sorrow we bid farewell to some historic cadres of the WFTU, whose contribution is invaluable. They were tireless fighters of the movement, always loyal to the WFTU and unwavering defenders of the class-oriented struggle. The World Federation of Trade Unions will always honor them and make sure that the next generations of workers in the world get to know their work and contribution.

So we enter 2022 with optimism and militancy, as befits the class-oriented movement. The coming year, apart from the strong challenges that it will bring for our organization, will also be a historic year, since the 18th World Trade Union Congress will take place. As always, this is a milestone in the global class-oriented workers movement, a celebration of the world working class, as well as an extremely important process in which the course of the WFTU is mapped out for the coming years. It is therefore very important in the new year for all WFTU members and friends to give their best so that this Congress is a success, worthy of the history and legacy of the WFTU.

The Secretariat of the World Federation of Trade Unions wishes its 105 million members and millions of friends from 133 countries around the world 2022 to be a good and militant year, a year that will contribute even more to our final goal of freeing humanity from exploitation of man by man. Because only then can we talk about real freedom, peace and prosperity.

Until the final victory!!!

#AthensGreece #WorldFederationOfTradeUnionsWFTU #WFTU

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU).

Dear colleagues,

Another year is coming to an end. Another year is added to the history of the WFTU and the world class-oriented movement. Another year made us cry and laugh, without losing not even for a moment our optimism for the best days to come for our class, thanks to our struggle and our firm political perception.

Making a brief assessment, as is usual at the end of each year, we will see that some things are repeated monotonously, but also new things are born, filling us with optimism for the future of the working class and popular strata.

In 2021, the inadequacy of this system to provide a solution to vital issues of humanity was revealed even more strongly. It was revealed that no matter how tearful the speeches of the political servants of the great multinationals are, they are not at all interested in the life and prosperity of the poor, the workers and the peasants, the women and the youth.

Since health and science serve the profitability of big capital, they can not deal with the pandemic properly and hundreds of thousands of people are still losing their lives due to COVID-19, due to the inadequacy of downgraded health systems, and not because the disease is invincible. In addition, to cover their own responsibilities, they skillfully try to divide workers, between vaccinated and non-vaccinated. But they have no answer for the millions of people in poor countries of the third world, that do not have access to vaccines due to financial weakness!

In 2021, we experienced once again the drama of refugees being used as a lever to pressure foreign policy of the states. They care very little about people drowning in the sea, or dying from landmines trying to cross borders and from hardship and diseases in hot spots. Their wars for the control of the wealth and the quest for new fields of profit are an unstoppable machine of misery.

In 2021 we faced the explosion of high prices in energy and in all basic goods, because as always the price of the economic crisis is paid by the peoples so that the big capitalists do not pay.

Repeated lockdowns have caused great losses in the world trusts and now they have to make up for the lost profits. Therefore, in the 21st century, even in the so-called countries of the first world, people are in danger of dying from the cold and from starvation!!!

In this framework, and despite the difficulty of distance meetings, the WFTU and the world class-oriented workers’ movement took action. Many seminars were held on issues that concerned and still concern workers around the world and mobilizations were organized on the occasion of every small or important issue of the working class in each country