Safety, dignity and equality for all women”

On 25 November, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) renews its struggle for a world free from violence, exploitation and war, recalling that in 2025 we will also celebrate 80 years of international trade union commitment alongside workers around the world.

Violence against women is never an individual or private matter. It is rooted in the power structures of capitalism, economic and social inequalities, patriarchal culture and the militarisation of territories. Wars, occupations and armed conflicts disproportionately affect women, increasing poverty, instability and insecurity. Similarly, economic exploitation, low wages, precarious work, lack of rights and the reduction of public services fuel violence and discrimination.

The WFTU fights for a world where women’s dignity and safety are top priorities, where work is safe and fairly paid, where every woman can live free from violence and fear. On this day, we remember in particular the situation in Palestine, where women today are suffering genocide and have been suffering the consequences of war, occupation and Israel’s policies of oppression for 77 years.

Trade union organisations affiliated to the WFTU have always maintained that the fight against violence against women is closely linked to the fight for workers’ rights, decent wages, safe housing, public education, healthcare and accessible social services. No woman can be free without access to economic resources, social protection and freedom from war and systemic violence.

On this day, the WFTU reaffirms:

• The need for effective legislation against all forms of violence, discrimination and exploitation;
• The right of women to safe work, decent wages and equal opportunities;
• The fight against imperialist wars and all forms of occupation;
• The right to education, contraception, social spaces and free public services, which are fundamental tools for women’s autonomy and protection;
• The need to combat patriarchy and the culture of violence, including through trade union campaigns, information campaigns and concrete actions on the ground.

The WFTU and its affiliates call on all trade unions and workers to mobilise, build international solidarity and support concrete actions against violence against women, predatory capitalism, exploitation and wars. Only collective struggle and the participation of workers can create a world where safety, dignity, equality and freedom are a reality for all women.

80 years of international trade union struggle.

Stop violence against women. Stop exploitation and war. Freedom and justice for Palestine.    Safety, dignity and equality for all women!

The post WFTU Statement on International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women first appeared on Labor Today.

Since it’s founding on October 2, 1945, the WFTU has fought against capitalism, imperialism and war, and fought for justice for workers and building class-consciousness in unions. The WFTU stands in contrast to the Yellow Union collaborationists on the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). The WFTU has stood by it’s principles of class-consciousness in trade unions and fighting against capitalist exploitation and imperialist war.

The WFTU, along with the various unions both local and international, held rallies and protests on October 1 and 2nd, culminating in a meeting held at a worker’s exchange in Paris. WFTU President Michael Mzwandile Makwayiba gave a digital greeting, then speeches were given by head of the Unione Sindicale di Base, Cynzia Della Porta, the prior General Secretary and Honorary President of the WFTU, George Mavrikos, and a speech was given by a representative of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions. Then WFTU General Secretary Pambis Kyritis gave a speech on the struggles and victories of the past 80 years and gave optimism to the future of the WFTU.

LUEL salutes the WFTU for 80 years of class struggle against exploitation by monopoly capitalism and will work with the WFTU to build presence and class-consciousness here in the United States. Long live the WFTU!

The post WFTU Celebrates 80th Anniversary in Paris first appeared on Labor Today.

The WFTU strongly condemns any collaboration with the war machine of the murderous state of Israel and calls for a boycott of Israel, especially for activities linked with its military operations and the crimes against Palestinians.

-Noting that on 26 January 2024, the International Criminal Court ordered Israel to ‘take all possible measures’ to ‘prevent’ genocide in Gaza, recognising that at least some of the rights claimed by South Africa and for which it sought protection were plausible.

-Noting that on 26 May 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel must ‘immediately’ stop its military offensive in Rafah, in southern Gaza, in response to South Africa’s request that the court issue this decision as an emergency measure, stating that Israel’s activities in Rafah constitute a ‘genocidal’ operation and threaten the survival of the Palestinian people.

-Noting that on 20 May 2024, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court announced that he had requested arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defence Minister Yoav Galant, accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

-And if the news published in various media outlets about the SINEDOR collaboration with the Israeli murderous state is true, we demand the immediate and unconditional end of the partnership without exception.

No support of the Israeli crimes
Stop the Genocide – Free Palestine

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It is announced, among others, that the countries are committed to spending 3.5% of GDP on core defence spending to buy military hardware and maintain troops, and another 1.5% on defence-related investments.

The World Federation of Trade Unions, the militant voice of 105 million workers, unequivocally condemns the new provocative soaring of military expenditures, the increase of the NATO budget, and their plans, which are deepening the confrontation and increasing the risk for a generalized imperialist conflict with disastrous consequences.

We demand full respect for the sovereignty, independence, and right of every people to choose their own path, present and future. We oppose the exclusions, discriminations, embargoes, and sanctions orchestrated by the USA, EU, and their allies against a range of countries, resulting in a direct and detrimental impact on the everyday lives of ordinary people. Low-income households, wage workers, poor farmers, and the broader vulnerable parts of society are disproportionately affected.

It is clear that both the spending of the war economy and the implications of the economic war negatively impact the standard of living of the popular strata are already burdened by the consequences of economic hardship, including soaring prices, rampant inflation, and the enduring effects of long-standing austerity measures, while the ordinary people pay with their lives for the wars conducted for the increase of multinationals’ profitability.

The international class-oriented trade union movement reiterates its firm demand for the immediate dissolution of NATO and all military coalitions, the complete abolition of nuclear weapons, and respect for the independence and sovereignty of all states.

The WFTU calls upon its affiliated and friends to intensify their struggles, initiatives, demonstrations, and strikes against the imperialists’ plans and wars.  We demand the end of all existing military conflicts, the end of the genocide in Palestine, and we strengthen the struggle for lasting peace, for a world free of imperialist interventions and man-by-man exploitation.

The post Statement of the WFTU on NATO Summit 2025 first appeared on Labor Today.

The meeting started with the introductory speech of the General Secretary of the WFTU comrade Pambis Kyritsis, where he analyzed the current global situation and the priorities and goals of the international class-oriented trade unions movement.

Later on, comrade Petros Petrou, responsible of ILO affairs of the central offices of the WFTU, took the floor to set the priorities for the WFTU delegation in the works of the ILC, highlighting the important items on the agenda of the 113th, analyzing the WFTU’s positions on those matters.

Moreover, members and friends of the WFTU participating in the meeting, engaged in a constructive discussion on the items on the agenda of the 113th ILC.

You can watch the full speech of the WFTU General Secretary down below:

The post WFTU Holds Preparatory Meeting Ahead of 113th International Labour Conference first appeared on Labor Today.

Since 29 October, the people of Valencia have had an open wound, which cannot begin to heal until those responsible pay for their negligence. The main person responsible for what happened is clearly President Carlos Mazón, but that does not mean he was the only one, as the actions of employers also seriously endangered the health and lives of the working class, which in some cases had fatal consequences and in others has led to significant psychological effects.

The trade unions forming part of the World Federation of Trade Unions have been there from the very beginning, not only helping the population to face the situation, but also denouncing the actions of the president and employers, and demanding the investigation of those responsible.

The general strike called for 29 May, jointly organised by various trade unions in the Valencian Country, is a historic general strike, as it is the first time that a general strike has been called at the national level.

The unions calling the strike are demanding criminal charges against those responsible for the deaths of workers, starting with President Mazón, and are also demanding compensation and justice for the victims of the DANA, the reversal of privatisations and the strengthening of public services, that those affected by the employment regulations resulting from the DANA receive 100% of their wages, the creation of unlimited paid leave for situations of weather alerts, the reduction of the working week to 32 hours or four days, wage increases and respect for the right to housing with controls on rent and sale prices, and the creation of a public housing stock.

For all these reasons, the European Regional Office of the World Federation of Trade Unions sends its full support and solidarity to the general strike on 29 May in the Valencian Country, hoping that it will be a great success, that it will mark a turning point in the country and that it will be a step forward in strengthening class-based trade unionism in the Valencian Country.

The post WFTU-EUROF Solidarity Statement with General Strike in Valencian Country first appeared on Labor Today.

Today, in 2025, the Palestinian people are facing a new and even more brutal chapter of this ongoing catastrophe. Since October 2023, the people of Gaza have endured one of the most destructive and deadly military campaigns in recent history. Tens of thousands have been killed, the majority of them women and children. Entire neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble. Hospitals, schools, and refugee shelters have been repeatedly attacked. The infrastructure of Gaza has been deliberately decimated, plunging the population into a humanitarian nightmare with no food, no clean water, no electricity, and no safety.

As we mark this year’s Nakba anniversary, Israel, with the full support and complicity of the United States, the European Union, and their allies, is intensifying its war on the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank. The international community watches, and yet Israel continues to act with total impunity, violating international law, United Nations resolutions, and even the recent rulings of the International Court of Justice.

The WFTU reiterates its full and uncompromising solidarity with the Palestinian people and their just struggle. We remain firm in our demand for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, an end to the Israeli occupation of all Palestinian and Arab territories, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. We reaffirm the right of return for all Palestinian refugees and insist on the urgent need to hold Israel accountable for its war crimes and crimes against humanity.

In these difficult times, we are inspired by the courage and determination of workers, students across the globe who have risen in solidarity with Palestine. The WFTU feels proud as its affiliates are leading mass mobilizations across the world, rejecting the genocide in Gaza and demanding an end to their governments’ complicity in this crime.

The WFTU calls on its affiliates and friends across the globe to escalate their solidarity with the Palestinian struggle. Our solidarity must be loud, it must be visible, and it must be grounded in action.

On this 77th Nakba Day, we do not forget, and we do not remain silent. We rise alongside our Palestinian brothers and sisters in the streets, in our unions, and in every forum of international struggle. Despite threats and repression, the voices of peace continue to grow louder, while the WFTU will continue to proudly wave the Palestinian flag alongside its own, standing on the right side of history, and fighting until the end of occupation, apartheid, and genocide.

End the occupation now!
Stop the genocide!
Free Palestine!

The post WFTU Statement on the 77th Anniversary of Palestinian Nakba Day first appeared on Labor Today.

The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) salutes and honors the 80th anniversary of this historic victory. We pay deep tribute to the millions of victims of Nazi and fascist atrocities, and especially to the countless anti-fascist fighters who gave their lives on the battlefields, in the resistance movements, in the partisan struggles, and in the concentration camps. Their sacrifice made possible the victory over barbarism.

This victory, with the Soviet Union and the Red Army playing a leading role, gave rise to a new hope: a world free of war, racial discrimination, colonialism, exploitation, and injustice. It changed the global balance in favor of workers and the oppressed, inspired national liberation struggles, and started the collapse of colonial empires.

The foundation of the WFTU in 1945 was itself born out of the great anti-fascist victory. It was created to unite the trade union movement in the struggle for peace and freedom.

Today, 80 years later, we witness again the rise of fascism and the far-right, with the support of the capital and its representatives, with imperialist wars and interventions continuing to bring suffering to the peoples. From the ongoing genocide in Palestine to the imperialist aggression elsewhere, to the growing refugee crises and rising militarism promoted by the USA, NATO, and the EU, the dangers facing peace and humanity are grave.

At the same time, these forces are intensifying efforts to falsify and erase history. They attempt to eliminate the decisive role played by the Soviet Union, the working class, and the anti-fascist movements in the defeat of Nazism. They even rebrand May 9 as “Europe Day” to rewrite the meaning of this date and strip it of its revolutionary legacy.

The international class-oriented trade union movement does not and will not forget. Our duty is to preserve historical truth, to educate the new generations of trade unionists, and to strengthen the anti-fascist, anti-imperialist struggle of the working class worldwide.

We reaffirm our commitment to the defense of world peace, to the rights and dignity of the peoples, as the only lasting path to a world without fascism, wars, and exploitation.

Long live the victory of May 9, 1945!
Long live the anti-fascist struggle!

The post Eighty Years Since the Victory Over Fascism, WFTU on Victory Day 2025 first appeared on Labor Today.

The post WFTU-EUROF Newsletter May 2025 Out Now first appeared on Labor Today.

The members of the Executive Committee unanimously elected the General Secretary of the TUI, comrade Mpho Phakedi of NUM South Africa, and comrade Jose Divanilton Pereira Da Silva of CTB Brazil, as President of the TUI.

After their election, both the President and the General Secretary, along with the Executive Committee members, reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the struggles of workers in the energy and chemistry sectors.

The WFTU wishes all the best to the new leadership and the elected bodies of the TUI, and expresses the sureness that the implementation of the decisions of the 4th Congress will be a strong reinforcement of the class-oriented trade union movement.

The post TUI Energy and Chemistry Elect New Leadership first appeared on Labor Today.