WFTU calls for solidarity with Cuba, Palestine and all peoples suffering from sanctions and economic wars

The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) Presidential Council, which met for its annual meeting on March 4-5, 2025 in Hanoi, Vietnam, issued statements in solidarity with Cuba, Palestine and all peoples suffering from sanctions and economic wars.

The WFTU:

1) Expresses its full solidarity and support to the heroic people of Cuba, who despite the murderous embargo and the imperialist interventions all these decades, continue to keep the flag of the Revolution high.

The struggling people of Cuba are going through difficult days, due to the consequences of the murderous longstanding imperialist blockade imposed by the United States and its allies, which has caused severe shortages. The well-known circles, those who are trying in every way to overthrow the Cuban revolution, are trying to take advantage of the reactions of dissatisfaction by the citizens because of the shortcomings that exist, in order to exert pressure and intensify the attacks on the socialist state of Cuba.

In this difficult situation, along with the attempt for the international isolation of Cuba, the inclusion by the USA of the country in the list of countries that “allegedly sponsor terrorism” is added. The WFTU condemns Donald Trump’s first act as US President, which was to put Cuba back on the State Sponsors of Terrorism list—just 6 days after its removal. This action consists a blatant mockery, disrespectful, and deceitful move that escalates the economic war on the Cuban people.

The WFTU reaffirms its solidarity with Cuba, and reiterates its unwavering demand for:

1. The immediate and complete lifting of the U.S. economic blockade against Cuba, and the permanent removal of the country from the list of countries that “allegedly sponsor terrorism”.

2. An end to all forms of external interference in Cuba’s sovereignty.

3. The non-negotiable right of the Cuban people to determine their future. We support their just demand for a peaceful recovery and an end to all coercive measures.

Solidarity with Cuba! End the Blockade Now!

2) Condemns the crimes and the barbarity of the murderous state of Israel, and expresses its support and solidarity for the heroic Palestinian People in their struggle for freedom and dignity.

The ongoing bloodshed has been going on and escalating since the 7th of October 2023 with the support and encouragement of the USA, the EU and their allies, has already resulted in tens of thousands of people losing their lives and many more injured.

After the flattening of Gaza, Israel continues its atrocities in the West Bank, with daily killings of civilians, imprisonments, bombings and destruction of infrastructure. In the last months, the Israeli aggression also expands and escalates in Lebanon, in Syria and in the wider region of the Middle East, with the open violation of borders and the mass devastating bombing of civilians. The Presidential Council expresses its support and solidarity with the Palestinian people and with the people of the region, in their struggle for sovereignty, liberation, and to repel aggression against their countries.

The recent statement of the President of the USA regarding the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, constitutes a continuation of the longstanding and consistent US’s stance and support for the murderous state of Israel and its plans. With his statement, Trump reaffirms in unprecedented cynicism, the USA’s full support of genocide and ethnic cleansing against the Palestinians. The World Federation of Trade Unions strongly denounces and condemns these statements and plans, and reaffirms its unshakeable solidarity with the struggle of the Palestinian people for their right to live in freedom in their own homeland, in the land that they were born.

The consistent and principled support and solidarity to the heroic Palestinian people had always been a priority for the international class-oriented trade union movement. It is clear that the only way to secure and consolidate peace and security for the people in Palestine and Israel, but also in the wider Middle East, is to immediately end the Israeli occupation and settlement in the occupied Arab territories, as provided for in the UN resolutions, and to establish an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital and guarantee the right of return of Palestinian refugees.

For the WFTU is clear that as the imperialist aggression intensifies, our solidarity must intensify too.

The workers from all around the world are in a continues struggle of supporting the Palestinian people! The militant trade unions join their voices with the Palestinian people, condemn the imperialist hypocrisy.

The WFTU, on the occasion of the 30th of March, observed as the Palestinian Land Day”, calls on its affiliates and friends, class-oriented and militant trade unions internationally to organise mobilizations and demonstrations, both in the streets, but in the workplaces as well, under the slogan:

“Free Palestine! Stop the displacement plans! Stop the ethnic cleansing”

3) Strongly condemns the economic wars and murderous sanctions imposed on various countries of the world, and expresses its full support and solidarity with the peoples against the imperialist attacks and interventions.

Examples in every region of the world, prove the painful results that economic wars have on the peoples and the working class. The class-oriented trade union movement has over time highlighted the nature and consequences of sanction-policies, regardless of the spurious pretexts that the imperialist states use to justify the application of these sanctions, and will continue to stand consistently and in solidarity with the peoples struggling against imperialist interventions.

The economic wars and sanctions, that have been imposed over time under various pretexts, are a tool of the imperialists to intervene in the internal matters of countries, which has as its aim and effect the maximization of the profits of their monopolies at the global level. Those who bear the cost of the sanctions are the workers and the peoples, since in reality these policies cannot stop the antagonisms and wars.

The class-oriented trade union movement denounces the years-long aggressions and the violations of international law by the USA, EU and their allies in their attempt to destabilize countries, resulting in the death of hundreds of thousands, millions of refugees and the destruction of infrastructures.

The World Federation of Trade Unions, on behalf of its more than 105 million members in 133 countries of the world, militantly stands in solidarity with the victims of the economic wars, blockades and sanctions, and struggles for the right of the peoples to decide for themselves, freely and democratically, about their present and future, without the intervention of the imperialists.