Speech by Sérgio Nobre, President of CUT. September, 2024.
Comrades!
On behalf of the national executive board of our trade union I would like to greet all the national trade union organizations that are present at this Forum. I would also like to congratulate Brazilian trade unions activists present here from Força Sindical and CTB on the unity that has been so important in recent years for President Lula's victory in the 2022 elections. This victory allows us to dream again of a democratic Brazil with social justice which puts workers at the center of agenda.
Despite the steps forward that have been taken, we should mention that many measures in the interests of workers are not advanced in a conservative national parliament with low representation of the working class. Recovering the rights lost under previous governments, reorganizing the union structure, strengthening democracy, and expanding the presence of unionists in parliament are the priorities for the Brazilian union movement.
In all multilateral organizations, we are committed to bring the issues of the world of work at the center of discussions – such as, for example, in debates on the platform work, regulation of social media, informality, digitalization and artificial intelligence.
We put decent work at the center of our agenda, within the framework of the ILO and its standards: tripartite social dialogue, collective bargaining, freedom of association, social protection, and social justice.
Work is not a commodity, but a right, human right!
We consider the urgent just transition to a low-carbon economy to be our priority. This transition will only be just if it does not increase informal and precarious work or reduce social rights.
It is also crucial to have a multilateral system that does not serve as an instrument for a new cold war, with international organizations committed to peace and respect for the sovereignty and self-determination of peoples.
We welcome the new members of the BRICS Trade Union Forum and would like to take this opportunity to invite all comrades present here to two important events – the 14th BRICS Union Forum and COP30 in Belem, Amazonia.
These will be the two crucial moments for us to advance in the fight against climate change, in the just transition debates, in strengthening the international trade union movement and in the struggles for the rights of the working class.
Thank you very much!