Alexandra Liberi, WFTU Representative addressed the ICATU 58th Anniversary Ceremony held at , in the Friendship Hall, Khartoum Sudan on 31st March 2014 and said the following words:
On behalf of the World Federation of Trade Unions and its leadership we want to convey our best wishes for the 58th anniversary of the ICATU, to its leadership and its members.
May ICATU’s history and contribution be remembered and honoured and may its future be bright and fruitful for the benefit of the Arab workers and the workers internationally.
Dear brothers and sisters,
I will not speak about the history, I will not speak about the past.
I will not speak about the common path of struggle that the Arab workers and WFTU have walked together for many years.
I could speak about the solidarity of the WFTU and the international working people to the struggle in Suez Canal, to the anti-colonial struggle, to the struggle for national liberation, to the struggle of the Palestinian and the Lebanese people, to the struggle against imperialism. I could speak about the support of the WFTU and the open protest against the wars in Afganistan, in Iraq, in Libya, the threats against Syria and Iran.
But the history by itself if you observe it with open heart, it would show you that the WFTU was the stable, honest and true ally of the Arab people for all the years since its foundation in 1945.
However I think the recent developments in the Arab countries have taught us that we must turn our eyes towards the future and see the changes people look for.
So what is the vision of the WFTU for the Arab World and Africa? What is the strategy of the WFTU as an international Trade Union Organization for the Arab working people? Why should the Arab Trade Union Organizations hear the call and join the ranks of the WFTU?
All efforts of the WFTU are aimed to unite the working class irrespective of their color, gender, nationality, ideological or religious belief in the struggle for the social and workers rights, in the struggle for their own interests.
All efforts of the WFTU are aimed to unite the working class with the poor social strata of the society, the productive strata of the society: the peasants, the self-employed, the poor fishermen to build together prosperous societies without exploitation of human-by-human.
What the WFTU sees in Africa is a Continent with all the riches and potential, which keeps being divided, controlled and looted by foreign and local powers and by the multinationals.
All efforts of the WFTU are aimed for a future to rise for the Arab people with educated well-paid labour force, with social security rights, with nutricional adequacy, with modern water sypply system, with qualitative education and health system, with affordable and efficient transport system. A future were the natural resources will be used for the benefit of the people themselves and for the prosperity of the society.
We are certain that this will not only remain a vision. Our predessesors struggled against colonialism and imperialism, they struggled for trade union rights and freedom, they fought for what the working people have today.
It is our duty to continue this path with more determination and efficiency.
This is why WFTU will continue to use all its means to support the trade union organizations in the Arab countries, to support their Organization: ICATU. Because for this vision to become true we need strong, independent, democratic, modern, militant and class-oriented Organizations that will struggle day after day for the contemporary needs of the working people.
The WFTU-OATUU-ICATU Alliance Aggreement marks the modern era for regional and international coordination in mutual, equal, respectful cooperation for the benefit of the Arab, the African, the workers world-wide.
These is our commitment.
We express our wishes and solidarity to ICATU not only for its 58 years of experience but its long, fruitful and bright future.
Thank you
