The Congress of the CAT was held in Chile, under the title “Luis Emilio Recabarren”, as a tribute to the father of the Chilean labour movement, in the “Centenary 1924 – 2024”. The Congress discussed and evaluated the work done in the period 2020 – 2024, analysed the functioning as a leading collective organization, and took decisions regarding how to set the Central in the collective consciousness of workers and people of Chile.
On behalf of the World Federation of Trade Unions, the General Secretary, Pambis Kyritsis, sent a greeting to the Congress.
Greeting of the WFTU General Secretary to the CAT Congress, “Luis Emilio Recabarren”
Dear comrades,
On behalf of the World Federation of Trade Unions, which represents over 105 million workers in 133 countries around the world, I convey our heartfelt and militant greetings to your congress, which is commemorating the great Chilian revolutionary, pioneer of the working-class Luis Emilio Recabarren, learning lessons from his life and action and his political and Ideological legacy.
We know that at this congress, significant issues concerning the trade union movement and the working class of Chile will be discussed and that decisions will be made to prepare your organization to meet the modern needs of the workers in your country. The CAT and the WFTU are united by our commitment to the same principles and values, and by our shared belief in the power of solidarity and internationalism in the struggle for peace, democracy, and social justice.
Your congress is being held at a time when the true nature of imperialism is once again laid bare in all its hypocrisy, cynicism, and inhumanity. Nearly a year of ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza, carried out by the murderous Israeli state and supported and armed by the USA, the EU, and their allies, demonstrates a clear intent to escalate these crimes and expand the war across the broader region of Arab territories.
We are proud that under the banner of the WFTU, millions of workers in dozens of countries around the world are mobilizing to demand justice and freedom for Palestine.
Sadly, not everyone in the international trade union movement can be proud. Some have lost their voices in the face of this crime, equating and leveling perpetrators with their victims.
We are living in a period where capital and its political representatives across the globe are attacking wages, pensions, social security, and even the right to strike. They do not hesitate to promote war, allocating ever more resources to military expenditures.
It is socially unjust to allocate the wealth produced by labor merely to satisfy the endless greed of capitalists for profits.
The objective conditions for dignified working and living standards for all workers globally are present. The WFTU firmly fights for the productive capabilities of society to be used to improve working and living conditions: fewer working hours, better wages, universal access to quality public healthcare, education, and social security, along with a dignified, healthy, and safe environment for work and life that fosters cultural, humanitarian, and environmental progress. This struggle is especially relevant in a period when scientific and technological advancements continually enhance labor productivity.
For the class-oriented trade union movement, organization, determination, and militancy in implementing decisions are fundamental components of achieving our goals. This is what Luis Emilio Recabarren’s life and actions have taught us. This is what the experience and enduring struggles of the Chilean labor movement have shown us. And this is what the long-standing anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist action of the WFTU, which in 2025 will celebrate its 80th anniversary, has demonstrated.
Solidarity and internationalism are the weapons of the working class.
We assure you that in your struggles, you will never stand alone. You can always count on the solidarity, support, and cooperation of the WFTU and the international class-oriented trade union movement.
I am confident that your congress will be a milestone, a source of inspiration and guidance for Chilean workers in the path of struggle and militant demands. It is there, in the spirit of solidarity, unity, and comradeship, that we will continue to meet.
Wishing you successful struggles, comrades!
