Posted: Wednesday, 30 June 2010

Officers of the Canadian Labour Congress played an active role in the Second World Congress of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), which met in Vancouver June 21-25. The ITUC is the world's largest trade union body with a membership of 175 million workers in 155 countries. The CLC acted as the host organization for Congress. CLC president Ken Georgetti spoke during the opening ceremonies, chaired various committee meetings, and was interviewed frequently by media.

“We must insist on a recovery based on the creation of sustainable, environmentally- friendly, family-supporting jobs,” Georgetti told 1,400 delegates attending the Congress. “We must defend the public services that are needed more than ever in times of economic hardship – and reject the wrong-headed calls of the right for cuts that will deepen the crisis.” Georgetti added, “This is no time for mindless deficit reductions or for abandoning the urgent need to fight climate change. And it is no time for governments to abandon workers.”

CLC officers Barbara Byers, Hassan Yussuff, and Marie Clarke Walker also made speeches and interventions at the ITUC Congress.