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Trabajadores newspaper interviews: Pedro Ross on the World Trade Union Federation |
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The
decision to allow our country to host the XV World Union Congress, which was
ratified in the recent Presidential Congress of the FSM (celebrated in
Paris), is a decision which union leaders consider to be historic and
transcendental, because the event will be celebrated in the continent which
is the basis for the most important changes that workers have gone through
recently, expressed Pedro Ross Leal, Secretary General of the CTC.
This is
the genesis of the war against Afghanistan and Iraq, of the threats against
Syria and Iran, of the creation of military bases surrounding the Orinoco
River: an attempt to control the countries which possess these natural
resources, like Venezuela, Brazil, Colombia, and Paraguay. The complex
economic, political, and social panorama has shown that the unemployment rate
is steadily rising, and workers are losing stability in their jobs, now that
their bosses can fire them at whatever time or transfer factories from one
country to another in search of greater profits. "These
measures are applied not only in Third World countries, but also in developed
nations. They were the cause of the recent strike in France. In all
the countries in the European Union, the unemployment rate has increased and
the process of privatizing social security has began, which will place the
youth, workers, and pensioners in a very bad position. All these aspects --
Ross emphasized -- have to do with the present and future life of the workers
and are on the analysis agenda of the XV Congress of the Worldwide Federal
Union, where they have a very symbolic meaning. What
subjects will be object of debate in the Congress? "Deep
structural and leadership changes have been introduced which allow us to face
the challenges that the present situation has imposed. This has made us
responsible, because the CTC is partly the cause of these changes and
together with other unions it must make the decisions which will defend the
economic, political, and social rights of the people, especially the workers.
We are a class conscious organization and this is what distinguishes us from
other international working associations." The
Congress -- he added - - plans to make the participation of the affiliated
organizations a priority after focusing its attention on the changes in the
FSM. It has not excluded any unaffiliated organizations from working with
them in order to see these changes take place. "As
I have indicated, the XV Congress of the FSM is going to make radical changes
in its structure and the organization, and will have to make decisions about
new approaches, methods and style of work, subjects that will be topics of
much debate." Ross
also indicated that the Presidential Council formed an integrated committee
composed of Cuba, India, Vietnam, Syria, Cyprus, Portugal, Senegal,
Brazil and Russia, that will be in charge to proposing documents to debate
and worldwide and regional changes in leadership to the General
Council. "This
committee is presided over by (K. L. Mahendra), of the AITUC of India, one of
the most prestigious organizations affiliated with the FSM." After
its foundation 60 years ago, are the principles and objectives of the FSM
still effective? "Their
principal objectives, the essence of the organization, remain, but a
single-minded neoliberal world can cause them to change their dynamic action,
and they are changing for this reason. "The
methods of struggle have changed, we cannot not know the role played by the
social and political character-institutionalized masses such as the Worldwide
Social Forum. The union movement is called to carry out the role of the
protagonist, to compromise itself with those new forms of struggle. "Before,
continental forums and the neocolonizing threat of ALCA did not exist, almost
a quarter of a century ago there wasn't a neoliberal offensive; and
neoliberal policies didn't have the meaning that they do today, therefore is
necessary to take into account all those changes so that we dont anchylose,
dogmatize, or mechanize ourselves. "We
must consider the other social factors that play an important role in
society: people who are unemployed; the continent's indigenous people,
the farmers (campesinos) without land, student organizations, religious
groups and intellectuals tied to the interests of their people. These factors
did not have the meanings that they do today when the FSM was founded. "One
of the aspects of the force that drives Cuba is that of of international
solidarity, not only between the workers, but between the people. It is
a solidarity of actions, not of words, such as that practiced in Cuba,
Venezuela, and other nations that support our cause. like which they
practice, for example, Cuba, Venezuela and other towns that are been next to
ours or supported the cause of other countries. This is the type of
solidarity that is present and will still have to be reinforced in the FSM. What
responsibilities does the Cuban union movement assume with this Congress? "Although
the decision to grant us the honor of hosting this event was a very recent
one, we are taking all the steps to make sure that we are a worthy and
dignified host. Being a working-class congress, this will be austere,
as it corresponds to the workers, but without a doubt those participating in
the event will experience solidarity and the hospitality of the Cuban people
and workers. "We
will be able to show the delegates of this world congress the capacity of a
people dedicated to defending their rights, sovereignty and independence
against the most aggressive superpower known to humanity." The
General Secretary of the CTC considered that this will be a congress that
will set standards: for the history of the world union movement, the Cuban
Revolution, in particular; and the Latin American union movement, that bases
its hopes and strategies of struggle in the process of integration of the
continent through the Bolivarian Alternative for the Américas (ALBA), which
without a doubt constitutes a reference for workers worldwide. ALBA not
only means a greater economy, greater employment, and more security, but also
national sovereignty and independence, true integration, more hope and more
life, and also the certainty that we are part of the construction of a
different and better world. Cuba,
the people and the workers are also a reference, added Ross, and he mentioned
that it was important to evaluate the state our country is in after 15 years
of a "special period", when many thought that Cuba would
disappear. "The
gains of the resistance, of persevering with our principles, of not resigning
our profits and principal social, political and economic conquests, indicate
that the country is blossoming, as Fidel has expressed." Ross
observed that the Congress of the FSM will take place on the final days of
this year, during which we will reach 9% growth of the gross domestic
product. "And
when important goals towards the betterment of the people's life, health,
education, food, housing, and wages, we are on our way towards 100%
employment. "While
in other countries around the world workers' wages are lowered and pensions
and social security are in danger, in Cuba everything improves and will
continue to improve. The only thing that can stop to us is an aggression of
imperialism, because we would have to dedicate ourselves to defending our
country, fighting against this enemy, and defeating it. "We
have found ourselves in one of the most important points in history, a
product of everything we have done throughout all of these difficult years.
For this reason I emphasize that Fidel's Cuba will be a worthy host of the XV
World Union Congress", he affirmed. |
