The WFTU strongly condemns the boycott and the questioning of Employers about the right to strike protected by ILO Convention 87 and its provocative and irresponsible attitude to block the adoption of a final list of countries to be discussed at the Standards Committee of the 101 International Labour Conference. This attitude is part of the historic confrontation and polarization between capital and labour and it is taking place under the current growing suppression of labour and trade union rights. This has intensified with the crisis of the world capitalist system in which the big winners are the transnational corporations, while workers are the victims, who replied with the increase of social struggles and strikes.
The WFTU reiterates that the right to strike is part of the freedom of association; it is an expression of class struggle and the organization of activities and actions of trade unions. It is a legitimate fundamental tool for workers to promote, defence and demand our economic, social and labour interests. It is a non-negotiable inalienable right which was conquered with the struggles of millions of workers who suffered repression, persecution, who did not sell themselves to class collaboration and opportunism, who suffered torture, imprisonment, who were victims of murders and disappearances, trade union martyrs that gave their lives and their blood in defence and practice of the right to strike, the only way to counterattack the aggression and intransigence of the employers in each country.
This attitude of the employers representatives on the Standards Committee at the 101 ILC is following the process of eliminating the right to strike and the violation of other agreements, as well as neutralizing the ILO system of control and review, to impose the force and blackmail of the big capital.
It is unfortunate that serious and major cases of violations of ratified Conventions such as Colombia, Guatemala, Swaziland, Greece, Spain, Fiji, Panama, Costa Rica and others have not been examined by the Standards Committee.
What happened in the Standards Committee proves that the economic powers in complicity with the governments serving the big capital have been using the ILO in accordance with their interests, a process that has been going on for over two decades following the imposition of neoliberal policies.
The WFTU expresses its class solidarity to all workers and trade unions that have struggled in every continent in defence of their conquests and social rights. The right to strike was won with the struggle of workers and we will defend it, as always with the united actions of struggle. That is the role of trade unionism and class struggle.
The WFTU Secretariat The WFTU Delegation in the 101 ILC
6/09/2012
Declaration about the boycott and show of the Employers Group in the Standards Committee of the 101th International Labour Conference
The WFTU strongly condemns the boycott and the questioning of Employers about the right to strike protected by ILO Convention 87 and its provocative and irresponsible attitude to block the adoption of a final list of countries to be discussed at the Standards Committee of the 101 International Labour Conference. This attitude is part of the historic confrontation and polarization between capital and labour and it is taking place under the current growing suppression of labour and trade union rights. This has intensified with the crisis of the world capitalist system in which the big winners are the transnational corporations, while workers are the victims, who replied with the increase of social struggles and strikes.
The WFTU reiterates that the right to strike is part of the freedom of association; it is an expression of class struggle and the organization of activities and actions of trade unions. It is a legitimate fundamental tool for workers to promote, defence and demand our economic, social and labour interests. It is a non-negotiable inalienable right which was conquered with the struggles of millions of workers who suffered repression, persecution, who did not sell themselves to class collaboration and opportunism, who suffered torture, imprisonment, who were victims of murders and disappearances, trade union martyrs that gave their lives and their blood in defence and practice of the right to strike, the only way to counterattack the aggression and intransigence of the employers in each country.
This attitude of the employers representatives on the Standards Committee at the 101 ILC is following the process of eliminating the right to strike and the violation of other agreements, as well as neutralizing the ILO system of control and review, to impose the force and blackmail of the big capital.
It is unfortunate that serious and major cases of violations of ratified Conventions such as Colombia, Guatemala, Swaziland, Greece, Spain, Fiji, Panama, Costa Rica and others have not been examined by the Standards Committee.
What happened in the Standards Committee proves that the economic powers in complicity with the governments serving the big capital have been using the ILO in accordance with their interests, a process that has been going on for over two decades following the imposition of neoliberal policies.
The WFTU expresses its class solidarity to all workers and trade unions that have struggled in every continent in defence of their conquests and social rights. The right to strike was won with the struggle of workers and we will defend it, as always with the united actions of struggle. That is the role of trade unionism and class struggle.
The WFTU Secretariat The WFTU Delegation in the 101 ILC
