Imperialism, wars threat to workers: WFTU

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) General Secretary Pambis Kyritsis on Thursday said that imperialism-related wars and the associated fight for resources was a threat to the working class.

He made the comments at the 17th Triennial National Congress of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) at Palace Grounds in Bengaluru. Kyritsis, a Cyprus national, said that solidarity between the working class remained alive and well, especially in the light of the association between CITU and WFTU, which has affiliates in 133 countries.

“Now-a-days the world is going through a phase of extreme intensification of political, economic and military onslaught aiming at controlling and exploiting the economic resources of our planet.

And as it happens, the people pay the price of the imperialist wars and attacks. “After the Russian invasion in Ukraine, the USA, NATO and the EU are trying to present the situation as a war between ‘liberalism’ and ‘authoritarianism’.

They think that in this way, their own criminal role in the whole process can be covered up. But so many bloody wars and intrusions to promote their own selfish imperialist interests are clearly visible – in Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Yugoslavia, Cyprus and so many other places – in Cuba and Venezuela, embargos and so many sanctions and economic wars.

Our answer to the hawks, whom they try to present as pigeons, is that world peace cannot be protected by more and more militarism or patronage of all kinds to the far-right nationalists and fascists. It cannot be based on blockades, sanctions and economic wars,” Kyritsis said.

“The results of the war of NATO and Russia in Ukraine, attempted to be burdened upon the shoulders of the working class. The workers all over the world refuse to pay for the capitalist crisis and the imperialist wars; through remarkable struggles, strikes and mobilisations, to defend the democratic and trade union freedoms, to defend the collective bargaining and the stable, permanent and agreements-regulated labour and for the satisfaction of the contemporary needs of the working people. WFTU affiliates are at the forefront of these struggles,” the WFTU General Secretary said.

Kyritsis added that war-related inflation hit working class people hardest since they had the fewest resources.