True and Democratic Congress of WFTU In my life I have attended many trade union Congresses and the most recent big congresses that I attended were of the two International Trade Union Organisations where I attended as an observer as a pensioner due to my age.
At the congress in Vancouver in Canada on June 22-25, 2010, it was the 2nd Congress of ITUC, there was a lack of democracy and dialogue, and I regret that this happened and disappointed me as well as the biggest number of participants. No real debate and no vote, not even some disagreement just to give us a positive sign. Several negative articles have been written about the ITUC Congress that, as a veteran trade unionist, I was sorry to read because trade unions are creation, discussion, debate and disagreement and composition at the end.
For the Congress of WFTU is true that many months before I received the call and I had immediate answers whenever addressed to the organizers in Athens. I received dozens of letters asking for proposals and criticism of the documents that were also sent timely. I did not take part in the preparation or sent any comments or had any involvement in the competitions of poem, poster or book they were inviting us. I never thought this was something real.
So I went to Athens at the 16th Congress of the WFTU and I was hesitant and skeptical and sometimes many questions came to my mind if my decision to attend was correct, to make enough expenses and to hassle traveling. And when young people greeted us at the airport in Athens and I saw the nobility, the seriousness they had and when I was given detailed information about the Congress, I felt a positive energy for those impetuous and dynamic young people.
In the texts of the Congress I saw that 2,500 pages of texts and comments had been sent to the WFTU Headquarters, but I did not believed it.
In opening when we walked in that big Stadium with about 5,000 enthusiastic Greek young men and women and older ones I felt strength and enthusiasm that I haven’t felt at least since 25 years.
It was great!! Great l! Great l!
Also the next day and the third day, the speakers, the debates, the space for open debate, each country with its colors, everything was wonderful and then began the elections I also had many years to see in such a gigantic world-level congress.
At first, the election of the General Secretary, of the leader of WFTU who is a very important man. A real voting, with a debate on his skills and competencies and then the very nice thing, the discussion in Congress about the secret voting, the polls of the elections and the disagreements in the Congress between the WFTU General Secretary and all delegates of Arab trade unions with arguments, discussions and the final decision of the 850 delegates to vote. You who were not there maybe you cannot fully understand what I mean. But those who were in the room, who voted and voted again for the leadership, for the President and the Executive Secretariat and then for new articles of the constitution you fully understand me and I believe you agree with me.
So a Bravo deserves to the WFTU because this union held a truly democratic congress.
A Bravo goes also in the young people, the painters who gave their works, the musicians and the singers. They made us feel wonderful and we thank them for all the great pictures. Every day, every moment we faced a positive surprise.
LONDON May 14, 2011
