Speech by mr. Miguel Torres, President of Força Sindical. September 7, 2024.
Dear colleagues and friends presented at this 13th BRICS Trade Union Forum in Russia, 2024.
First of all on behalf of the Brazilian trade union centers: CUT, Força Sindical, CTB, UGT, NCST and CSB, and the colleagues of the Brazilian delegation: Sérgio Nobre, President of CUT, Carlos Muller, International Secretary of CTB, and Márcio Ferreira, Vice-President of Força Sindical, I would like to greet and congratulate everyone for their presence and participation in this important Trade Union Forum which unites 10 countries that are part of this important BRICS process.
On behalf of Brazilian workers, we welcome the trade union centers of the five new countries that became a part of BRICS: Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Iran.
We extend a special greetings and congratulations to our friend and colleague, Mikhail Shmakov, President of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia, and to the Russian trade union movement for the work, commitment, and excellent organisation of our Forum, and for the welcome and hospitality in this wonderful city of Sochi.
We thank the Russian government for including the BRICS Trade Union Forum in the agenda of official events of BRICS in Russia, 2024, that considerably contributes to the development of our Trade Union Forum activities in an autonomous, independent and constructive format. Thus, we can present our concerns and proposals, contained in our Declaration of the 13th BRICS Trade Union Forum, to the BRICS governments.
Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to highlight that Brazil went through an extremely serious period during the far-right Bolsonaro government, which weakened democracy, attacked and intended to eliminate trade unions, increased poverty, unemployment, and social inequality levels and compromised our sovereignty. The trade union centers were united in the fight to defeat this fascist Bolsonaro project!
After the major changes in the 2022 elections, in which our comrade Lula was elected as President, Força Sindical, together with other trade union centers, works and fights tirelessly to defend the rights of the working class and to rebuild our country. Nonetheless, we have not killed the devil, we have only closed the gates of hell. We still have a long fight ahead of us.
We would like to highlight that with the aim of strengthening the Brazilian trade union movement, trade union centers have presented a project to strengthen social dialogue, collective bargaining and trade union movement in our country to President Lula and to the National Congress.
Today, despite the difficulties faced by the unions, trade union centers have already substantially contributed to the formulation and implementation of public policies that improve the lives of workers and the population in general. According to DIEESE (Interunion Department of Statistics and Socio-Economic Studies), 85% of collective agreements and conventions resulted in real wage increases, declining of unemployment to a rate of less than 7%. And according to IMF forecasts, Brazil will become the 8th largest economy in the world in 2025, with GDP growth from 2.8% to 3% in 2024.
We have also been intensely fighting for reindustrialization, fair trade relations at national and international levels, support for social income programs, implementation of the decent work agenda, defense of the environment, social justice, and strengthening of democracy.
Our trade unions are fully committed to the fight for strengthening the Global Coalition for Social Justice, which is promoted by the International Labor Organization and has strong support from President Lula's government in Brazil.
We consider it’s very important that our BRICS Trade Union Forum can show to all BRICS member states the need for greater commitments and support for the Global Coalition for Social Justice initiative as a counterweight to the savage neoliberalism defended by the extreme right wing in the world.
In the international context, we consider that the globalised world is going through a very turbulent and worrying period. Geopolitical tensions, the outbreak of conflicts, wars, and the intensification of disputes over markets, natural resources and technology create a scenario of uncertainty and deep concerns for workers at national and global levels.
Technological and scientific advances and artificial intelligence are very important and have the potential to influence current and future generations, mainly in communication, medicine, the world of work, the ability to produce socio-economic and demographic statistics, and contribute to sustainable development. However, these technologies and artificial intelligence also have their worrying and disastrous impacts and side effects for humanity, such as unemployment, informality, social inequalities, and most worryingly the rise of the extreme right and fascism in several countries around the world, including Brazil.
Finally, the Brazilian delegation expresses support for the proposed final draft of Declaration and the proposed regulations for the admission of new organizations to the BRICS Trade Union Forum presented by the Russian delegation.
A big hug of fraternity and solidarity to all.
For us, workers of the world, only struggle makes the law and guarantees democracy!
Thank you very much!