As the year ends, the WFTU proudly salutes the militant struggles the working class held in 2023, for safeguarding the rights of the workers, for practically expressing the international solidarity, and for a society free of exploitation and oppression.
The decisions of our 18th World Trade Union Congress that took place in Rome on May 2022 under the slogan “United we continue for the satisfaction of our contemporary needs – Against Imperialist-Capitalist barbarity”, guided the WFTU’s actions to strengthen the struggles of the working class in every corner of the globe.
As the genocide in Palestine continues, the year 2023 will be remembered as a bloody year in the history of humanity. The aggression of the Israeli occupying forces with the support of the USA and EU and their allies, have already caused a humanitarian crisis leading to the death of tens of thousands.
Approaching 2024, the US and its NATO allies continue and intensify their efforts to impose their political and economic control over the planet, the imperialist wars and interventions are becoming more and more outright, and the peoples are paying the price with their dead, refugees, immigrants, impoverishment, and poverty. The WFTU with its action raises even higher the flag of the struggle against imperialism and interventions, for the dissolution of NATO and all military coalitions, for the destruction of nuclear weapons, for peace and social justice.
In 2023, the attack on wages and other labor and social rights of workers have continued and came with the attack on democratic and trade union freedoms and intensification of the authoritarianism and repression. The COVID period had been exploited by the capital and its political representatives, in order to promote even tougher measures that shrink the right to organize, to demand, to protest collectively and the sacred right to strike.
The international class-oriented trade union movement, through 2023, intensified its struggle against the attack on wages, healthcare, and social security, to defend unfettered democratic and trade union freedom, and to denounce authoritarian onslaught against toiling people!
The WFTU affiliates will continue being at the forefront of the militant reaction of the workers around the world with major struggles, mobilizations and strikes on all continents.
Committed to its principles and Congress’ decisions, in 2024 the World Federation of Trade Unions will intensify:
- The coordination of the action and struggles of the organized class-oriented Trade Union movement throughout the world and supplying it with the necessary information and tools that will make the struggles even more prepared and effective.
- The further development of internationalist solidarity, cooperation and joint coordinated action of the peoples and the workers with the class unions in each country as a front.
- The deepening of the intervention in the International Organizations in which the WFTU participates with the aim of more effectively projecting the demands and interests of the working class.
- The struggle against discrimination of all forms and the highlighting of the particular issues concerning working women and young workers.
- The struggle for the preparation of the health and safety of workers and the working environment, as well as sustainable human development with climate change at the forefront.
As we get ready to welcome the year 2024, we are confident that the international class-oriented trade union movement is ready and well-prepared to pave the way for future struggles, for the defense of workers’ interests and the satisfaction of their contemporary needs. For a world without imperialistic wars and interventions, without any kind of discrimination and man-by-man exploitation.
Finally, the WFTU wishes to the working people all over the world, to all its affiliates and friends, a happy and militant new year, full of struggles, full of victories!
