Chinese Labor Organization -ACFTU Leadership Visits WFTU;
First Time Since 1965
A high-level Delegation from the ALL CHINA FEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS headed by Sun Chunlan, Vice-Chairwoman and First Secretary of the ACFTU, visited the headquarters of the World Federation of Trade Unions.
The meeting took place July 8-10, 2009.
The WFTU reported that was a historic meeting and the "first such high level visit since 1965 when the ACFTU had withdrawn its affiliation from the WFTU. The ACFTU is the largest trade union in the world with 210 million members."
The WFTU reported that the discussion focused on:
"Strengthening of democracy, transparency and proportional representation at all levels of the International Labour Organization [ILO];
"International trade union cooperation for peace, stop of war conflicts and the right of every people to determine their present and future;
"Intensifying of efforts to strengthen the World Trade Union Forum of Beijing, to be established as an important event for the world working class and the international trade union movement;
"Exchange of bilateral visits and contacts aiming to protect workers and their rights in time of international economic crisis;
""Mutual respect between the two organizations, both for issues of common approach as well as for issues where there are different views."
The ACFTU had meetings with the President Of the Hellenic Republic Mr. Karolos Papoulias; and, both the ACFTU and WFTU met with the Minister of Employment and Social Security Mrs. Fani Petralia. The economic crisis was high on the agendas.
WFTU General Secretary George Mavrikos "considers as very positives this visit that will help to further strengthen the stable and genuine relationship between the two organizations."
