The World Federation of Trade Unions, on behalf of its 100 million members all over the world, expresses its support to the workers around the globe, who are facing consequences on their health and risk on their working rights, because of the Coronavirus outbreak which now records a large number of cases and deaths.

We urge the governments to immediately  take all necessary measures to ensure life and health of workers, as well as the protection of their labor rights.

Our large class-oriented trade union family underlines the heroic contribution of health care workers and scientists, inside the hospitals and  other services, who are striving to protect the lives of workers and all people under exhausting conditions and in poor and inadequate health systems.

We are finding out the very big gaps in Health Systems as a result of states’ underfunding and commercialization policies, that do not consider Healthcare and Prevention as a global right but as a commodity generating  immense profits for Health and Pharmaceutical industries. The miserable and even non-existent Health Structures in African, Asian, Latin American countries expose workers to a serious threat due to the pandemic.

The workers must not pay the effects of the Coronavirus outbreak on the global economy, with measures such as layoffs in sectors like tourism, work from home, and even more flexible  working hours.

  We demand:

1. Recruitment of permanent medical and nursing staff as well as creation of new public health structures.
2. All public services must be fully equipped with the necessary disinfection and protection material, provided by the state for free to the population.
3. Additional days off work with full remuneration and insurance must be secured to:
   • Workers who are ill.
   • Workers who are forced to abstain from work because of emergency preventive measures.
   • Those who are called to take care of a sick child or an elderly member of their family.Those who have to stay with their children at home, due to the preventive closure of schools and nurseries.
4. Substantial and adequate protection measures in all workplaces.
5. The profiteering of multinationals and monopolies against the popular strata must be crushed.

In the age of rapid technological development and advancement, there are all the scientific and productive possibilities for the effective tackling and protection of the peoples from epidemics. Instead, workers and the popular strata are suffering from the consequences of the barbaric capitalist system, and are exposed to risk against their own lives and the survival of their families.

We demand that all states, governments and international organizations assume without any delay complete and substantial measures for the prevention and protection of health and life of workers and the peoples, as well as for the protection of their working rights by the effect of measures that are announced.

THE SECRETARIAT

The meeting is convened under the theme “Working people of all countries unite”. The directive committee is the leading regulatory body of the TUI in between congresses and will conclude its work tomorrow [12th March 2020].

The Directive Committee Meeting will discuss and adopt a plan of action for the next four years. It will discuss the status of public services globally in the light of the increasing attacks by the capitalist class on public services, the neoliberal restructuring accompanying it, precarious work, low wages, taking away the social functions of the state, the rescinding of collective bargaining agreements, the reduction of health and safety in the workplaces and occupational accidents, with workers being compelled to work long hours.

The plan of action will direct the TUI and militant class action in meeting the most basic needs of workers. The plan of action will also strengthen anti-imperialism action; trade union rights; anti-privatisation campaign; collective bargaining and social security campaigns; trade union education; workers unity and solidarity and the rights of the youth, women and immigrants

On this occasion, a program will be launched to celebrate the 75th anniversary and the growth of the militant class-oriented trade union movement, the WFTU.

The SNTE believes that workers representatives rights should be preserved and any restriction exerced upon trade unionists should be banished from those areas of the world that still think of ways of transforming labor organizations into branches of their authority.

The SNTE demands to free unionism all over the world – Sudanese militants included – from all sorts of restrictions including free movement of trade unionists. This is the only way one can rely on to achieve a real partnership between workers representatives and authorities.

The SNTE joins all those organizations that condemn such a way of dealing with trade unionists and workers. Hands off the militant trade unionists. Hands off SWTUF. Hands off brother Yousif Ali Abdelkarim.

The General Secretary of SNTE

Militant trade union leaders of the sectors of textile garment and leather form India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, Russia, Egypt, RD Congo, Sudan, Morocco, Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Brazil, Argentina, Greece and Cyprus participated in the Congress, hosted by the General Union of Textile and Garment Workers of Egypt. The WFTU General Secretary, comrade George Mavrikos also participated and delivered a speech during the Opening Ceremony of the Congress, stressing the importance of the new TUI in such a strategic sector for the covering of workers’ and ordinary people’s needs, which also employs millions of workers all over the world who toil in harsh and often dangerous working places. Brother Ghassan Ghosn, Secretary General of ICATU also participated.

Mr. Mohamed Saafan, the Minister of Labour of Egypt and Mr. Fayez Ali Al Mutairy, director of the Arab Labor Organization attended the Opening Ceremony.

The TUI TEXGAL Congress elected brothers Abdel- Fatah Ibrahim-Egypt, Textile and Spinning workers union, as General Secretary and Ernesto (Quiqui) Trigo-Argentina, SAMC, as its President.

It also decided to hold an International Action Day every year on April 24th, commemorating the victims of the Rana Plaza garment factory and promoting the health and safety measures inside the workplaces.

The TUI TEXGAL Founding Congress, which coincides with the 75th anniversary of the WFTU, consists of a great step forward for the international coordination and solidarity which will strengthen the struggles of workers of the respective sectors and will support the improvement of their working and living conditions, based on the principles of class struggle, against capitalist barbarity and exploitation.

The union also issued a press release outside the shopping centre declaring the international solidarity with the working class in France as well as with all the workers in commerce and service sector.

During the last day of the congress Ernesto Trigo from Argentina elected president and brother Abdel Fatah Ibrahim from EGYPT elected General Secretary of the new TUI.

The opening ceremony started in the presence of Mr. Mohamed Saafan, the Minister of Labour of Egypt, brother Ghassan Ghosn, Secretary General of ICATU and Mr. Fayez Al Motery director of the Arab Labor Organisation.

During the opening ceremony the WFTU General Secretary George Mavrikos addressed the participants.

The international class-oriented trade union movement struggles against the measures and the practices such as outsourcing which are resulted in the dismissal of workers, worsening of the working conditions and undermining the quality of the provided services to the people.

Expressing our support and solidarity with the workers of Philippine Airlines, we demand the unconditional cancel of the intention of the company’s administration and we call upon the working class of the Philippines to actively stand on the side of the Philippine Airlines workers.

The Secretariat