USW International Vice-President Fred Redmond brought a message of global solidarity to Brazilian workers this week.
Addressing the Congress of the Unified Workers Central (CUT), Redmond deplored the attacks by Brazil’s right-wing government on workers’ bargaining rights and pensions, and the imprisonment of former president and metalworkers’ leader Lula da Silva.
“We know that Lula’s fight for justice and democracy is a fight for a strong and powerful global workers’ movement. Lula is Innocent! Free Lula!”
Redmond linked the attacks on workers in Brazil to the fight for worker rights in the U.S.
“Our rights are under attack as the Trump administration changes labor laws to benefit corporations and not workers,” he said.
Redmond also lamented that the current presidents in both countries have risen to power and exercise it by increasing fear and hatred, especially racial prejudice, rather than by leading.
Finally, he rallied the hundreds of delegates to the global labor movement's call for the immediate release of Brazil's former president Inacio Lula da Silva, unjustly imprisoned for the last year and a half. Redmond closed by announcing to the crowd the upcoming visit of AFL-CIO President Rich Trumka to present the 2019 George Meany Lane Kirkland Human Rights Award to Lula in prison. The decision to give the award to Lula was announced in March.
