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WORLD FEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS

WORLD FEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS (WFTU) -  Plan of Action

4th Presidential Council Meeting

Ho Chi Minh City-Vietnam

February 22-23, 2010

Zan Moreas Street, Athens 11745, GREECE

Tel. +302109214417,  +302109236700,    Fax +30210 9214517

www.wftucentral.org, info@wftucentral.org, international@wftucentral.org

RESOLUTION

16th World Trade Union Congress, April 2011, Athens Greece

The year 2010 will be an important year for the global working class. The international financial crisis creates significant problems for workers worldwide. Unemployment and poverty are growing.

In 2010 we celebrate 65 years since the foundation of WFTU (1945-2010). This year is also the year of preparation for the 16th World Trade Union Congress, therefore our tasks are major and serious.

We now publish the Action Plan for 2010 as discussed and approved a few days ago in the WFTU Presidential Council meeting held on 22-23 February 2010 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The Action Plan is an ambitious and rich plan emphasizing on trade union training with many useful and necessary seminars in all continents.

All together, members and friends we will turn it into action, we will work to materialize it. At the end of 2010 it is more than sure that new friends and new members will join our big family.

In the program that follows are included only the central, the most basic activities organized under the responsibility of our headquarters. But also our Regional Offices and the WFTU TUI’s plan and organize a rich program of activities in may countries and all continents.

ACTION PLAN 2010, Central Initiatives

  1. Trade Union Forum of Beijing, 25-26 February: Contribution for its success.  It analyses all the current problems from the perspective of the workers and it concentrates the interest of all trade union organizations in the World - strengthening of our relations with ACFTU, OATUU and ICATU.

  2. International Action Day 2010: We suggest the date:  Friday September 10th 2010.  We must promote the circulation of statements, press releases, posters, memorandums and speeches at workplaces. We need initiatives and struggles also from the Regional Offices and the TUI’s.  We need all WFTU affiliates and friends to organize concrete initiatives.

  3. The positive experience from April 1st 2009 when militant activities took place in 48 countries of the world must be evaluated.  This date is to be flexible (1-2 days before or after) depending on what is more convenient to the local trade unions. The subject of the international action day September 10th 2010 will be announced by the Secretariat on time.

  4. Internationalist Solidarity: The WFTU once more will express for real its solidarity to the Palestinian people in July 2010 in an International Conference to be organized in Lebanon. To take initiatives for solidarity with the class oriented movement in Colombia, Philippines etc. who are under serious attacks and murders of trade unionists.  We will organize a big campaign against the murders and the kidnappings of trade unionists; joint initiatives with CTC in favour of Cuban people and for the Revolution. May Day 2010 should be used to inform and alert all our affiliates and friends for the International Action Day of 2010, September 10th.

  5. Trade Union Education and Training: We suggest 2010 to be the year of TRADE UNION EDUCATION, that is to be the year of holding many usefull and necessary seminars and workshops.

  1. Colombia: Seminar on “Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining”*

  2. Niger: Seminar on “Informal Economy”*

  3. France Strasbourg: Seminar on “Labor law and international standards”- July 2010  *

  4. Philippines: Seminar on “Labour Migration”- April 2010 *

  5. Guinee Bissau: Seminar on “Poverty reduction-meeting the basic needs” *

  6. Mexico: International Conference of Solidarity with SME on “Privatization of strategic branches” – March 10 and 11, 2010

  7. Syria : Seminar on “Safety and health at work” *

  8. Nigeria : Seminar on privatization for the region of Africa.

  9. Lebanon : Seminar on the economic crisis for Arab Countries.

  10. South Africa: Seminar on metal workers, Johannesburg July 18-19,2010.

  11. Brussels Belgium: Seminar on “Starvation and the alimentary problem in the 21st century”- September 2010.

  12. Laos : Seminar on the environmental protection, IT as well as English language courses.

  13. Bulgaria : Initiatives on matters of health and other joint activities with ILO and UNESCO.

At the same time, both the Regional Offices and the TUI’s will implement their own programme for Seminars and trade union education.

A WFTU delegation will visit People’s Republic of China and will participate in a Trade Union Seminar aiming to strengthen the relations of our members and friends with the Chinese people, the Chinese working class and the ACFTU.

  1. Working women to continue the activities that begun with the big international conference of working women held in Brussels and took place in all countries organized by our regional offices.  To pay more attention to women immigrants and refugees.  Ethiopia will host the meeting of women working in the commerce sector and their problems co-organized with NBTUC Egypt. (The permanent Women Secretariat of the WFTU to function.)

  2. Working youth: After the successful Conference in Peru, the new WFTU Youth Coordination Committee will decide the country where the next Conference on Working Youth will be celebrated. The success of the Conference in Peru brings us in front of new tasks. The Youth Secretariat will meet on March 27 2010 in Athens to decide on important initiatives.

  3. 7 Regional Offices Annual Meetings

For the region of Asia-Pacific the meeting will be held in Sri Lanka, July 30-31, 2010.

For Latin America the regional meeting will be held on 29 April, in Habana Cuba.

For Europe the meeting will be held in Rome on 1 and 2 of October.

For Middle East the meeting was held on February 15-17, 2010 in Beirut Lebanon hosted by our affiliate Al Wafaa.

Also in Africa the regional meeting will be organized in**************.

  1. International organizations: Continuation of our good presence at the ILO, UNESCO, FAO and UN in New York.  Meetings with the leadership of these organizations.  Preparation for the 99th Conference of the ILO in June in Geneva.  Participation in the Regional Meetings of the ILO and other international organizations.  Preparation for the elections of Governing Body in 2011.

  2. Activities of WFTU during the 99th ILC in Geneva:

  • Preparatory meeting of WFTU affiliates and friends : Tuesday June 1st.

  • Informal Presidential Council meeting : Monday June 14th .

  • 5th Council of friends of the WFTU : Monday June 14th .

  • Activity for the 65th Anniversary of WFTU foundation : June 15th, 18.30pm ILO

  • WFTU General Secretary addressing the Plenary Session (to be defined)

  • Exhibition of WFTU Posters.

  1. Various

  • Celebrating the “65 years of victory against fascism”

  • Athens, March 23-24, meeting on the subject “Developments in Social Security”

  1. Congress of International Federation of Trade Unions of Teachers (FISE) in Nepal : in charge comrade Valentin Pacho.

  2. Congress of Bank and Insurance International Federation of Unions(BIFU) : in charge comrade Valentin Pacho.

  3. Venezuela: International meeting for the 65th Anniversary of WFTU and contemporary issues.

  4. Activities:

  1. 8 March, International Women's day

  2. 28 April, International Day for Safety and Health at work

  3. 29 November, International Day of Solidarity with Palestinian People

  4. 18 December, International Migrants Day, Etc.

16th  World Trade Union Congress

We decide the 16th World Trade Union Congress to be held in April 2011 in Greece, in Athens. The main items of the Agenda we propose to be :

  1. the course of the WFTU after the 15th Congress until today

  2. the challenges for the next five years

  3. a contemporary Status

  4. election of the new WFTU Leadership

The Secretariat and the Presidential Council shall take all measures this Congress to be a successful international conference. The regional offices, all TUIs, all WFTU affiliates and friends to work hard so that the 16th Congress to be a new, big station for the people of the world.

For the preparation of the 16th Congress the Secretariat must soon :

Form those Committees and also Working Groups that are reported by the Statute.

Give the main logo with a style that reflects the past, the present and the future of our organization.

Main slogans for the 16th Congress:

  1. We are struggling for a world withouth exploitation of men by men.

  2. Cancel now the debts of Third World countries.

  3. Stop to racism – neofascism – xenophobia. Solidarity with economic immigrants

  4. Stop child labor – stop to child prostitution. Free food-water-medical assistance-education for all children.

  5. Health and Safety in workplaces – measures against the occupational diseases

  6. Stop to the imperialist wars

  7. Proletarians of all countries UNITE.

  8. Trade Unions class-oriented – Internationalist – Democratic. Solidarity forever.

  9. Freedom to Palestine – Apply now the UN Resolutions.

  10. Free and Public health, education, social security for all.

  11. Decent and stable work with full social security, salary and labor rights. No to flexibility. Trade Union freedoms for all.

  12. Increases in salaries and pensions to cover the real contemporary needs of the workers in the world.

  13. The working class unites in common struggles the poor peasants, homeless, indigenous people and economic immigrants against capitalist barbarity. Women and men together!

  14. The WFTU in the front line of the struggles.

  15. The youth, the women and the economic immigrants in the front line of the class oriented struggle.

Program of the TUI’s for the 16th Congress:

We already founded a new TUI for the branch of tourism and hotel workers, the TUI of Hotel and Tourism workers (HOTUR).

All our TUI’s have their own programs and their own activities. The Secretariat of the WFTU will support all the initiatives of the TUI’s. We propose to the TUI’s that belong to the WFTU family to incorporate in their own programs one particular activity dedicated to the 65 years of the WFTU and to the 16th World Trade Union Congress by holding trade union seminars. Our proposal about the Seminars is as follows :

  1. TUI Public Services: Syria

  2. TUI Metal and Mining: Conference in Venezuela and South Africa

  3. ΤUI Construction: Lebanon «Fatal labor accidents»

  4. TUI Transport: Nigeria

  5. TUI Agroalimentary: Conference in India «Alimentary problem»

  6. ΤUI Energy: Peru

  7. TUI BIFU: Malaysia

  8. TUI Tourism (HOTUR): Conference in Egypt «Workers’right to recreation and rest»

  9. TUI Education : Seminar “Fighting analphabetism – duties of the class oriented trade unions”

We underline that it is important the logo of the WFTU and of the 16th Congress to appear in the main slogan of all the above Conferences and Seminars.

Financial support for the 16th Congress

All member organizations are committed to help by giving financial support to the headquarters to cover the costs of the Congress.

All members to send their contributions on time, on the basis of the Statutory provisions and according to the capacity of each organization.

We also expect some financial assistance from our friends around the world.

Special meetings for the 16th Congress

A special meeting of the Presidential Council or special meetings of the Congress Committees may need to be done.  We authorize the Secretariat to organize and plan these meetings if and whenever necessary.

To launch a public international call for a poem to be written for the 65 years of the WFTU. This poem to be presented at the 16th Congress.

To launch a public international call to make a poster dedicated to the 65 years of the WFTU. The best poster to be printed and distributed to all delegates of the 16th Congress.

To encourage the edition of new books on WFTU history.

Dear comrades

We are optimist that through the above mentioned rich activity we will prepare all together an important and very successful 16th World Trade Union Congress.

The Presidential Council  

Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam 23.2.2010