Eighty years ago, World War II in Europe came to an end, while the war continued few more months in other parts of the world. Nazism/Fascism fell, after millions of human lives were paid for this victory. May 8 for us is a day of remembrance of those hundreds of thousands of activists of the labour movement who were the first to oppose the fascist threat and lost their lives fighting against it. Nazism/Fascism physically destroyed the best sons and daughters of the working class. Decades have passed, but the lurking ideology of hatred has now emerged again from the basement crevices and is gaining popularity around the world.
As we pay tribute to the heroism of the defenders of freedom, we must strengthen democratic trade unions and build a common political movement together with other working-class parties and organizations. A movement based on the values of international workers’ solidarity is the only force that can counter the rise of right-wing populism that is once again trying to lead humanity into the abyss.
We support IUF affiliates in Europe in their call to reinforce collective memory around the historic anti-fascist struggles and the role of the trade union movement in defending democratic rights and freedoms. We call on IUF members around the world to mobilize against the rise of the far right, to defend workers’ rights at the workplace and political freedoms in society.
We have done it before. Let’s do it again.
