REGION AMERICA
AMERICA`S REGION

STATEMENT
OF THE WORLD FEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS (WFTU) REGARDING THE CREATION OF THE COMMUNITY OF LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN STATES (CELAC)

With great satisfaction, WFTU welcomes the creation of CELAC as a process of extraordinary strategic meaning for the sake of our region, by recognizing the basis identifying us, without the mediation of foreign hegemonic interests, and as an expression of the need for claiming people´s sovereignty.

Beyond the diversity of creed and ideologies, there has been recognition that the economic model and policies imposed from Washington are already exhausted, and the necessity of prioritizing the most significant interests of the country by a systematic effort, in a coordinated and committed way according to the people´s desires.

We are very concerned with the way in which the world economic situation is endangered, in the middle of the economic crisis, the turbulence of the financial markets and the difficulties with tax policies in many places. The volatility of prices in basic goods and the pressures exerted against food security are key problems to be solved.

We are aware that worldwide consequences of these problems fall mainly in the working class, and especially in poorest people. Although Latin America and the Caribbean, according to key international organizations, is not the most affected region, the main records of labor market, inequality and poverty, are showing that vulnerability and the region´s main problems have not been solved yet.

Again and again it is repeated that Latin America and the Caribbean is the most unequal region on Earth, but still we have a lot to do in order to break the vicious circle of inequality and poverty.

In this environment, we are conscious that in nations facing such facts, with sociopolitical models more radicals and leaning to change, their people and governments suffer from an increasing aggressive actions on the part of United States government and its allies, which adopt new and assorted ways, ranging from the allocation of big amounts of money for subversion, to the increase of military installations, with the evident proposal of pushing for setbacks, and in order to intervene militarily in case they feel that their interests and greed over the natural resources of all kind, are at stake; particularly oil and natural gas, all of which provoke war of pillage in other regions.

Because of all above mentioned issues, today more than ever, the appeal for unity of the working class takes validity, facing the attempts for subversion and lulling of our struggle, by mean of a conciliating and compromising speech, with neoliberals’ ideas, that already demonstrated their failure and have been rejected, because, among other facts, the labor policies regarding the so called flexibility in employment, make it precarious, and the same happens with wages, the workers´ living conditions and the limitations of the freedom to organize themselves.

Neoliberal policies have not solved any of the problems that are the core of people´s aspirations.

♦ We have to strengthen the class oriented trade union movement, in order to encourage unity of action of workers and their people, in favor of mobilization and conformation of proposals beyond the eminently vindicating and economic union framework, generating alternative programs and proposals where aspirations of the whole population be reflected.

♦ It is unavoidable for us to oppose an attempt to criminalize the trade union movement, due to its positions defending national wealth, social transformations leading to respect and promote actual human rights, social and environmental justice, fostering full and dignified employment, sustainable way of living, basic health services, education, housing, among others.

Likewise, we cannot forget our opposition regarding violence by organized crime, but also of the use of the State´s armed forces against the population.

♦ It is necessary for us to override the root causes which limit a greater degree of workers´ participation in the process leading to regional integration, even with the diversity of our positions and affiliations, and under the key premise around unity, common points permitting us to go ahead in a joint and articulated way.

♦ We should insist that every country must adopt its own decisions in an environment of peace, stability, justice, democracy and respect for human rights.

♦ Our uncompromising rejection to the presence of military installations requires firmness from CELAC, and also in relation to extortion on the part of rich countries conditioning economic assistance to the acquisition of military equipment. Money that is allocated for weapons should go for the solution of problems related to services and social protection, needed by people and workers.

♦ The integration of our countries should help in the commitment to build an international order more just, equitable and harmonic, founded in the respect for international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter, among them the sovereign equality of States, and the peaceful solution of conflicts, favoring justice, peace, development and understanding among peoples.

♦ CELAC needs to stay away from Bretton Woods agreements, by creating, more than a common account unit, and a regional monetary, commercial and financial system incorporating a chamber of payments compensation with a financial fund for the development of entities like Banco del Sur (Bank of the South).

♦ Member Governments of CELAC should reject IMF mechanisms and other international financial institutions that impose programs going against interests and rights of the working class, by mean of astringency, privatization and pillage policies of wealth belonging to our people.

♦ We condemn the implementation of Free Trade Agreements and other ways of association with United States, Canada and the European Union, which have removed jobs, and have subjugated our national economies to uncertainties and imbalances of international markets.

♦ In the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), we have to influence in order to get fundamental structural changes for the transformation of the whole world economic and financial system, trying to avoid another crisis like the one we are facing today.

♦ The external debt should be canceled. It has been already paid many times.

♦ We hope that CELAC will encourage coordinated investment policies, technological innovation, rational use of natural resources and the environment, fiscal, tax, commercial, migration, educational, health and security and social prevention measures, towards the creation and stabilization of jobs, and the protection of jobless people.

♦It is very important for CELAC to guide national economic policies towards productive investments, according to national interests, urging investors to comply with labor rights and be subjected to national courts in case of violations.

· Promote a wage policy which greatly increases payments to all workers, and by that means to push the consumption of goods and services, and encouraging at the same time investments and jobs.

♦ We demand CELAC to sponsor a free and public education, in order to forge characters based upon culture in its broadest meaning, with values such as, identity, solidarity, reciprocity, and to develop scientific knowledge according to workers’ and people´s needs.

♦ We urge each country to have a high quality and free health care system, covering all the requirements of people.

♦CELAC should impose itself since the beginning, going ahead in the formation of alternatives regarding food, energy and financial sovereignty, in the defense of environment and against the effects of climate change; claiming the need for the existence of peace, against the militarization and State terrorism, and where the attention and the search of solutions to the serious social problems we are facing, be the base of our determination.

CELAC governments should assure:

· Rights for a free and democratic trade union organization, facing violators of rules of Covenant 87 of ILO.
· Tutelage for representatives and trade union activists against any reprisal affecting their families, their jobs or labor conditions.
· Prohibition and nullification of high-handed or unprovoked firing
· Guarantee for labor justice, specialized in the Law of Labor