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World Congress of TUI :
X World Congress of TUI
of Public & Allied Employees
20-22 March 2006, Johannesburg, South Africa.
The X Congress of Trade
Union International of Public & Allied Employees was successfully held at
Johannesburg, South Africa from 20-21 March 2006. About 60 delegates and
observers from 12 countries – Cyprus, Ghana, India, Japan, Lesotho,
Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Zimbabwe
representing 20 organisations participated in the Congress. Several other
delegates from Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka Cuba and Nigeria could not
attend the Congress due to non-receipt of Visa in time. Deputy General
Secretary of WFTU was to attend the Congress, but has held up due to
non-receipt of VISA.
In his opening address, Lulamile Sotaka President TUI from South Africa
remarked that the present system of imperialism is the source of the
miseries of the working people around the world. He called for fighting a
renewed offensive against workers by imperialism and neo-colonialism.
Educating the working people as to against whom is this fight directed and
why, should form the basis of this struggle. He also urged for greater
international solidarity in this regard.
Noluthando Mayende Sibiya, President of National Education Health and
Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU), the host organization, delivered the
welcome address. In her address she spoke about the major challenges the
working class and poor across the globe are facing with increasing number
of armed conflicts. In her address she spoke of the alarming threat of
HIV/AIDS in Africa as drugs, manufactured by multi-national companies,
continue to be beyond the reach of ordinary workers. Kuagulu Ramodise,
Deputy General Secretary NEHAWU also addressed the Congress.
The Congress, which met
under the theme; ‘FACING THE CHALLENGES’, took stock of the
international social, economic and political situation that the working
class is faced with, since the IXth Congress held in Calcutta, India on
the 4-6 November 1998. . Sukomal Sen, General Secretary, TUI, placed the
main Documents – Policy Document and Social Charter.
The Document also noted among others, that the world is gripped with
unprecedented economic crisis marked by the pursuit of a neo-liberal
economic policy supported by the IMF-World Bank and the WTO, which has
resulted in the dismantling of the Public Sector, privatization,
downsizing, reduction of staff, part-time employment, casualization,
contract service along with wage-freeze and drastic cut in social security
measures and privatization of pension and the denial of trade union rights
have become the order of the day.
The most fascinating and impressive world events were witnessed in the
unprecedented massive anti-imperialist struggles following the US
imperialism’s dastardly military invasion in Iraq and the massive and
militant struggles against capitalist globalization in various parts of
the world with the ushering of the new millennium. These struggles
unmistakably point to the fact that while on the one side imperialism has
become more inhuman and barbaric and global capitalist exploitation has
become more and more reckless and on the other toiling people are also
more and more numerously rising up in resistance both against imperialist
and military attacks and Capitalist Globalization.
With due regard to all these developments and factors, the response by the
international trade union movement should be in formed by the ever
increasing contradiction between capital and labour, which is getting more
acute by the day, by imposing heavier burdens on the employees with
sharpened exploitation, endemic and permanent unemployment.
As the capitalist forces are trying to enforce an alarming deterioration
of employment conditions and of guarantees and rights won in decades of
struggles, the trade union movement as part of their response to these
challenges must amongst others:
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Accentuate
the struggle against imperialist or neo-colonial oppression, against
capitalist globalization, against neo-fascist and racist terror, the
rise of religious fundamentalism and terrorism in all its
manifestations; |
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Establish a
New International Economic Order with equality between nation and nation
and people and people; |
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Fight
against all exploitative methods of the capitalist society and for
social progress; |
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Fight for an
advanced social system where democracy, employment, food, medicare,
educare, education, housing, social security measure, cultural
facilities and social justice are guaranteed and exploitation o9f man by
man will be ended; |
Congress also adopted a Social Charter ,
which deals with a wide range of issues such as working and unemployment
conditions, unemployment, access to public services, remuneration, working
hours, promotion of the rights of women and the youth, social security and
pension benefits and trade union rights. The charter will guide the
engagement with organizations such as the ILO and other international fora
where trade union rights and issues affecting workers are discussed.
All the delegates in their address supported the Policy Document and the
Social Charter. There was a commonality in the deliberations as all of
them have to struggle against the onslaught of privatization and to defend
their trade union rights. Speakers were unanimous that TUI has an
important role in uniting the workers’ and employees’ movement. They
called united action against the offensive of capitalist globalization.
They called for greater international solidarity and opined that a strong
pubic sector is essential prerequisite for sustainable national
development.
All the delegates profusely thanked NEHAWU for the excellent arrangements
in all departments of the Congress. Various organizations gave mementos
and gifts to TUI and host organization NEHAWU.
Willy Marisha, President, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU)
also addressed the meeting. He said the theme of the Congress, ‘Facing the
Challenges’ acknowledges the challenges faced by the poor and the working
people and yet ends in an optimistic note through an alternative – an
alternative where people comes before profit.
Sukomal Sen, General Secretary, TUI of PAE replied to the discussions on
the Policy Document and Social Charter. He said that for implementing the
slogan Facing the Challenges – working people of all countries must unite.
Only interpreting the situation is not enough but how to change it – the
political, social and economic system should the matter for consideration.
The working class must unite. . Viva Socialism – is the appropriate slogan
for the emancipation of the working class. The Policy Document and the
Social Charter were adopted unanimously.
Three new applications for affiliation from Inter-Bank Associations of
Nepal, All India Bank Officers Association, All Pakistan Federation Of
United Trade Unions (Public Services) were approved.
Thereafter General Secretary placed the proposed constitutional amendments
based on present organizational position of the TUI PAE, which was
approved unanimously. The following panel of office bearers were
unanimously adopted:
President: Lulamile Sotaka South Africa
Vice Presidents: Micheal Archondites from Cyprus and C H Venkatachalam
from India
General Secretary Sukomal Sen from India.
President TUI in his concluding speech commented that in TUI PAE a
majority, about 90% members are mostly from the Asian and African
countries, who have got nothing to loose in the fight against imperialism.
Working people will have to analyse and locate their role in the struggle
against imperialism and capitalism and fight.
The following important 16 resolutions were adopted in the Congress:
| 1. |
Resolution on solidarity
with the Cypriot working people - for peace and the reunification of
the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. |
| 2. |
Resolution on killing
and persecution of trade union leaders in Philippines; |
| 3. |
Resolution on solidarity
with the workers and people of Iran; |
| 4. |
Resolution on solidarity
with workers and peoples of Iraq and support for their legitimate
struggle to end the occupation and to build a free, democratic, united
and independent Iraq; |
| 5. |
Resolution on
pensioners, retired workers, disabled and old aged people; |
| 6. |
Resolution on
restoration of democratic rule in Nepal; |
| 7. |
Resolution on
intensification of trade union struggles against blockades and
sanctions and their consequences; |
| 8. |
Resolution against
political pressure, blockade and military aggression of the united
states imperialism on the democratic popular republic of Korea; |
| 9. |
Resolution on working
women; |
| 10. |
Resolution on the
International Labour Organization; |
| 11. |
Resolution on the demand
for the immediate release of the five Cuban anti-terrorist fighters,
political prisoners in the United States; |
| 12. |
Resolution on literacy
as a basic human right; |
| 13. |
Resolution on Zimbabwe
in its present struggle for recovering the lands still occupied by the
ex-colonial masters; |
| 14. |
Resolution in solidarity
with the working people of Venezuela and their Bolivarian revolution; |
| 15. |
Resolution on HIV/AIDS; |
| 16. |
Resolution in support of
the democratic movement in Swaziland. |
The Congress ended with a sense of unity
among the public employees and with a pledge to expand the organization
and to be an active participant of the international struggle of the
working class against imperialism and globalization.
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