CONFEDERATION ENDORSES MOVEMENT LAUNCHED BY THE WORLD FEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS ON FIVE BASIC ISSUES FOR HUMAN EXISTENCE

   CONFEDERATION CIRCULAR NO. 15  DATED 03rd  SEPTEMBER,  

Conf/ 15/2012                                                                                Dated: 3^rd September, 2012

Dear Comrade,

                The Word Federation of Trade Unions was founded in a Conference held at Paris from 3^rd to 8^th October, 1945. It had its deepest crisis when the socialist system collapsed in the erstwhile USSR.  The 15^th Congress of WFTU was held at Havana in 2005.  The said Congress helped to revive the active functioning of the WFTU.  The 16^th Congress was held at Athens, Greece in April, 2011.  It was a grand success and paved way for the WFTU to become a potent organisation to lead the international working class to militant struggles against the Globalisation agenda of capitalist system.  One of the decisions taken at the Congress was to observe the international day of action every year to unite the working class throughout the world for action on certain important contemporary class issues.  Ist April, 2009 was thus observed as international day of action to raise the issue of workers right and against exploitation.  On 7^thSeptember, 2010, when the Indian Working Class organised the greatest ever strike action under the auspices of the united platform of all Central Trade Unions and Federations, the day was observed by WFTU with the slogan that "We will not pay for their crisis".  It was in the background when most of the capitalist countries decided to bail out the giant corporate houses from crisis by tax payers' money.  In 2011 the day was observed on 3^rd October  i.e. the foundation day of WFTU and the slogan raised was "Social Security for all, collective bargaining rights, trade union rights and democratic rights, 35 hours of work and 5 day week, better wages etc.

                The Confederation had been carrying out this directive of the WFTU being an affiliate of the TUI, public Services.  In the face of the pension fund privatisation and the PFRDA Bill, the slogan for social security for all raised by the WFTU received appreciation from the rank and file of our membership. The other issues raised by the WFTU were also equally relevant and important for the Government employees of India for they are still denied the right to collective bargaining and other trade union rights.  India, we should remember, is one of the countries of the world, which has still not ratified many of the ILO conventions. 

                This year, the WFTU has decided to raise the following five issues which are of utmost and essential pre requisite for human existence.   i.e. Food, Water, health, Education and Housing for all. Both the CITU and AITUC which are affiliated to the WFTU will be organising this programme throughout our country on 3^rd October, 2012.  As an affiliate of TUI Public Services, it is our bounden duty that we observe 3^rd October, 2012, with appropriate programmes so that the message reaches all our members.

                The State Committees may chalk out either independent programme of action or hold joint programmes in consultation and association with the State Units of the All India State Government employees Federations, CITU or AITUC.

Yours fraternally,

K.K.N. Kutty

Secretary General.