XIV-th BRICS Trade Union Forum. Brasilia (Brazil), April 23-24, 2025
The 14th ordinary BRICS Trade Union Forum took place at the historic Brazil Palace Hotel in the capital of Brazil. Delegates from Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, as well as trade union activists from Argentina, Panama, Portugal, and representatives of the Brazilian authorities took part in the Forum. Among those invited were the representatives of the international trade union federations: International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA), UNI Global Union, International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF).
Overall, more than 60 delegates participated in the Forum’s deliberations.
Having listened to the guests’ greetings during the official opening, the delegates began discussing the draft Declaration and the other items on the Forum’s agenda. The Minister of Labor of Brazil, Luiz Marinho, delivered a report on the socio-economic situation in Brazil. The Forum’s agenda, in line with the general motto of the Brazilian presidency - "Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance" - included the following issues:
- Strengthening trade union cooperation and inclusive global governance,
- Sustainable economic development and decent work,
- Impacts of digitalization and artificial intelligence on work,
- Defending workers' rights in a multipolar world.
The heads of trade union delegations delivered reports on socioeconomic situation in the respective BRICS countries, as well as interventions on the agenda items.
Reports on economic situation and trade union movement in their countries were presented by:
Central dos Sindicatos Brasileiros (CSB)
Central dos Trabalhadores e Trabalhadoras do Brasil (CTB)
Central Única dos Trabalhadores (CUT), Brazil
Força Sindical (Brazil)
Nova Central Sindical de Trabalhadores (NCST), Brazil
União Geral dos Trabalhadores (UGT), Brazil
Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia (FNPR)
Confederation of Labor of Russia (KTR)
Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh(BMS), India
All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU),
Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU),
Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA),
National Public Service Workers Union (NPSWU), South Africa
South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU)
Worker’s House, Iran
Confederation of Iranian Workers Representatives (CIWR),
Iranian Confederation of Workers' Associations (ICWA),
Supreme Center of Islamic Labor Councils of Iran.
Having adopted the Declaration of the 14th BRICS Trade Union Forum, the delegates discussed the implementation of the Resolution 2024.1 that had been adopted at the 13th BRICS Trade Union Forum in Sochi. They have also discussed and approved the procedure for holding the meetings of the BRICS Trade Union Forum participant organizations, the statement of the 13th BRICS Trade Union Forum "On unacceptability of sanctions as an instrument of pressure on sovereign states", and the general outline of the proposal to establish the BRICS Trade Union Forum Secretariat. The Forum participants have asked the Russian trade unions to elaborate a draft statute of the Secretariat for further discussion.
On April 25, 2025, the delegation of the 14th BRICS Trade Union Forum took part in the annual meeting of the BRICS Labor and Employment Ministers.