The 1st Ordinary General Assembly of the International Labour Confederation (ILC), which includes 33 confederations from 25 countries and represents over 30 million workers, including Memur-Sen, was held at the Memur-Sen Headquarter.

The general assembly meeting was attended by the Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Işıkhan, representatives of international labor organizations, presidents and board members of ILC member confederations, as well as numerous invited guests.

“The ILC is highly valuable for the labour struggle and humanity.”

Addressing representatives from the labour world, Minister of Labor and Social Security, Prof. Dr. Vedat Işıkhan, stated, “Today, we are holding the 1st Ordinary General Assembly of the International Labour Confederation, which we believe will introduce a new dimension to unionism that is crucial for the sustainability of labour, the driving force behind economic and human development. I find this organization, which embodies labour, hard work, productivity, and value creation, transcending borders, not only valuable for the world of work but also immensely significant for humanity in terms of international rights, justice, and the struggle for labour.”

“We will amplify the principle of hope.”

Addressing leaders of the international labor movement at the general assembly, Ali Yalçın, the President of Memur-Sen, stated, “In response to the challenges the world faces, we aim to develop solutions centered around humanity and labor, and to expand labor solidarity from local to global through the International Labor Confederation (ILC), whose 1st Ordinary Congress I hope will yield favorable outcomes for workers worldwide. We aspire to amplify hope and intensify our efforts. Step by step, we will reach more workers and escalate the struggle to be their voice.”

Ali Yalçın emphasized that alongside the crises occurring worldwide, there is also a crisis in the labour and union sectors. He stated, “We cannot evaluate the crisis experienced by labour organizations independently of the system. As it is known, unionism experienced its heyday during the era of industrial capitalism. In other words, industrial capitalism provided a platform where production was strongly advocated for, and labour played a significant role in the equation. What is being expressed here is not a longing for the past. Exploitation persisted during that period as well. However, the concept of labour was not pushed outside the equation of economic theories as it is today. After 1980, neoliberalism based on the principle of rent disdained labour and pushed it outside the equation. Especially on an international level, unions could not resist this accounting system or develop alternatives. As the Memur-Sen family, we recognized this contradiction early on and made strong intellectual efforts to develop strategies accordingly. First, in our country, we adopted a different principle of unionism. Beyond ideologies, we focused on service unionism that centers on human beings. In the next stage, we reached out to you, friends, saying ‘labour is universal.’ We are pleased that we found friends who are concerned about the current trend and are in search of a new path. I thank you all very much.”

Yalçın deeply questioned the current system. “The International Labour Confederation was established with the aim of bringing together workers in the Eurasian region to find solutions in a world increasingly dominated by crisis, where existing institutions and organizations, far from producing solutions, are themselves part of the crisis. Together, we will expand hope. Where there is humanity, there is faith; where there is faith, there is hope, there is possibility. Our treasure is labour force, our value is humanity. Financial capitalism alienates humanity. Current system has reduced humanity to a mere cost factor. Labour and righteousness are the cornerstone of justice. We are embarking on a new journey. With our collective strength, we will construct a fair world.” concluding his speech.

Esen: Long live labor, long live solidarity

During the opening speech of the 1st Ordinary General Assembly, International Labour Confederation Founding Secretary General Mehmet Emin Esen stated, “We are in a period where labour is eroded…Human rights violations, wars, and conflicts are occurring in every region of the world. With the support of the main forces of imperialism, Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Concepts are eroded. Institutions tasked with maintaining peace and security have become corrupt. Imperialism is eliminating all values. During our founding process, we discussed these sensitive issues. We discussed what we can do against a system where labour, the most cherished value of humanity, is exploited. We unite to elevate the importance of labour, to emphasize that labour is the focal point of production. We will struggle to build a just world. Long live labor, long live solidarity, long live ILC”. 

Ignacio: Workers around the world are in a difficult situation 

Roland Herman Ignacio, Secretary General of the American Federation of Democratic Unions (ADS), also delivered a speech, stating, “Many countries in our region are dealing with serious political, economic, financial, and public health issues. Irregularities, informal employment, and human rights violations are occurring in many parts of the world. Global difficulties are putting workers in a challenging position. Unions should be more active and engaged in these processes. There has never been such a great need for unions. We embrace the ideas adopted by the ILC”. 

Mezhoud: “The world is bigger than the five.” 

Arezki Mezhoud, Secretary General of the Organization of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU), condemned the genocide perpetrated by Israel in Gaza and expressed solidarity with the Palestinians, stating, “I condemn the heinous crimes against the Palestinians. We stand with Gaza. Today, we are faced with many challenges. Globalization is exacerbating inequality and impoverishment worldwide. Exploitation and monopolization are becoming widespread. The rights of workers are being disregarded. In many countries, workers are unjustly dismissed and forced to work for low wages. As victims of the global system, we continue to fight against these injustices. The statement by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan that ‘The world is bigger than the five’ is very valuable to us. Today, the world is under the control of a few powerful countries. To confront these challenges, we must strengthen our solidarity. The ILC is a great opportunity for us. Long live justice, long live workers’ rights, long live Turkish workers.”

During the congress, chaired by Soner Can Tufanoğlu, Vice President of Memur-Sen, in the election, Ali Yalçın, President of Memur-Sen, was unanimously elected as the Chairman of the Central Decision Council of the International Labour Confederation, while Dr. Ahmet Gök, Vice President of Memur-Sen, was also unanimously elected as the General Secretary.

The 1st Ordinary General Assembly of the International Labour Confederation (ILC) concluded after the group photo was taken. Following the general assembly, the opening ceremony of the working office where the International Labour Confederation (ILC) will operate in Ankara was held.