"Long live the international working class!": Closing remarks by George Mavrikos at the 17th World Trade Union Congress

Closing remarks by George Mavrikos, General Secretary of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), at the 17th World Trade Union Congress held in Durban, South Africa. 

Dear friends and militants,

First of all, I want to express my appreciation for the trust you demonstrated towards me by electing me as General Secretary of WFTU. On behalf of PAME and the class-oriented trade union movement of Greece we thank you for your repeated support. With my reelection, I feel an ever greater responsibility towards you and I commit to give all my best efforts to the struggle for the strengthening of the WFTU and the emancipation of the international working class.

Dear brothers and sisters,

The 17th World Trade Union Congress kicks off in South Africa

DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA- Hundreds of workers and employees from 111 countries of the 5 continents are in Durban, South Africa in order to participate to the 17th World Trade Union Congress, organized in the heroic land of South Africa. So far, according to the featured numbers, in the Congress are going to take part:

-1200 trade-union participants
-111 countries from the 5 continents
-340 women trade-unionists
-31% of the delegates are from the Public Sector and 69% are private employees.

The WFTU leadership would like to thank the South Africa working class as well as its militant trade unions for their great initiative to host a great trade union event like this. The 17th World Trade Union Congress is going to be a great democratic, open, internationalist and class-oriented trade union event .