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INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 8 MARCH 2018
WOMAN: THE ANNOUNCER OF DIGNITY AND FREEDOM

WMCW - The World Movement of Christian Workers celebrates 8th March, with all women in the world, this journey of history towards emancipation, the assumption of power and the gender equality, especially in the access to civil rights, the professional opportunities, in the family responsibilities and evokes, with affection and gratitude, all women who have assumed this cause and fight.

Celebrating the International Women’s Day continues having perfect sense because, in many places in the world, now, there are still women who are exploited, excluded, raped, trafficked, exploited sexually, slaves and killed simply because women were born. Being woman, in some countries, means submitting, above all, to be raped and humiliated in public, to be obliged to isolate in degrading conditions or to be forced into female genital mutilation. These harsh realities, even illegal or considered in the law as a crime, keep on existing and they are the cause death to many women. And the guilty go unpunished because of inertia, or even, the complicity of authorities that are governed by established traditions and remain the patriarchy, where woman is totally undervalued.

The tragedy of domestic violence - a common drama in all communities and cultures persists despite a lot of information, awareness campaign and the fact that in many countries is considered a public offence, and continues destroying many women’s lives everyday. There are still many women who suffer physical or psychological abuses, or they are killed by their husbands o partners. Women who lead suffering lives beyond time, with marks that will be perpetuated throughout their lives.

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WORK AND WORKER ORGANISATIONS AT THE CENTER OF INTEGRAL AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.

1. The meeting of trade union organisations convened by the Dicastery for promoting integral human development, opens up new and hopeful perspectives for the reflection and shared contribution of workers' movements to contemporary societies.

2. Its development has been based on an analysis from the various regions of the world today, from the reality of workers, social sciences, international standards, Gospel and Social Doctrine of the Church, from Rerum Novarum to Laudato Si.

3. It has made it possible to identify, that the current model of globalisation has failed working people and resulted in historic levels of inequality which, when combined with digitalization and climate change, presents a number of disturbing issues. These include the weakening of labour laws and government regulations, unfair trade, the financialization of the economy and the blind trust in technology as a solution to the problems of social organisation. The increase in automatization, individualization, inequality, precarity, mass unemployment, poverty and the phenomena of exclusion and the "discarding" of people puts the "common home" at risk. These trends present serious challenges for all social and institutional players and in particular for the world of work.

4. It has made it possible to identify the wealth of the Social Doctrine of the Church, reaffirming the centrality of the human person and the right to a decent work with the recognition, promotion and defence of universal labour standards in the model of development; the cultural heritage of the peoples; the priority of labour over capital and finance; the universal destination of goods and the consequent social mortgage that hangs over them; the consideration of scientific-technological innovations as a product of collective work and generations; the strategic role of trade union organizations by means of social dialogue and collective bargaining in building economically robust and fairer societies; cooperation and solidarity among nations as the foundation for a world in peace.

5. It has also made it possible to visualize the continuity of institutions and organisations of care and protection of workers that are an essential framework for the construction of more democratic, participatory and inclusive societies, based on the values ​​of collaboration, networking, unity, solidarity, and organisation.

6. Trade Unions have always played a crucial role for the defence of human dignity. Freedom of association, the right to organize, collective bargaining and collective action are fundamental human rights and a precondition for other human rights at the same time. Trade union organisations have a leading role in the construction of new models of environmental, economic, social and integral development and promoting new ways of working. Precarious work must be eliminated. To take advantage of the opportunities of the fourth industrial revolution it requires a just transition including education and lifelong learning and the deepening of workplace democracy. Governments must ensure the conditions for full employment, decent work, including safe workplaces based on occupational health and safety rights, respect for human and labour rights and fight against all forms of discrimination.

7. Human mobility is one of the most serious challenges of our times. Millions of women, men and children are forced to leave their own home and families because of wars, hunger and poverty. Trade unions must be committed to secure, safe havens and equal treatment for refugees, migrants - documented and undocumented - the displaced and asylum seekers. Everyone needs to be welcome in society and the world of work, including through the full recognition of their labour and human rights. Trade unions recognize the role of interreligious dialogue as key to promoting inclusion, solidarity and social justice.

8. It is essential to move towards another ethical paradigm that surpasses the dominant technocratic one (economic, financial and technological), which allows integral, inclusive and sustainable rights-based development, builds on the reality in each country and region, and places at its center work and workers' trade unions, as a cornerstone for a just and equal society. This supposes unconditional respect for decent work, structuring personal and collective identity in a development model that combines sustainable growth and social justice. All employers, including CEOs of multinational companies, must be fully involved in the creation of a real social market economy, with the imperative to reorient the moral purpose, to respect human and workers rights, the full implementation of ILO standards and to serve the development and stronger cohesion of communities. It requires addressing the problems of those who suffer the most discrimination in accessing to decent work including disabled people, migrants, refugees, women, young people. It means confronting any discrimination in the world of work whether social, indigenous, geographic, physical, ethnic, sexual, generational and underlining the rejection of child labour, forced labour in all its forms and the impact of historical and modern slavery and racism, including systemic racism, to ensure equal dignity and respect for all human beings. It is essential to ensure the equality of women, their right to work and equal remuneration and their right to be free from any kind of violence including sexual and physical.

Trade unions recognize the importance and the necessity for inter and intra-generational solidarity and dialogue.

There must be the guarantee of vital public services including universal free quality education, health and support for the homeless. Universal social protection is also essential and must include care, in particular child care and care for the elderly, pensions and income for the unemployed. Tax evasion undermines public services and social protection and must be eliminated.

For this reason Laudato Si must become a reference and a concrete inspiration for action to sustain a perspective of care of the "common home" and promote this kind of development through collective bargaining and social dialogue, and the negotiation of a just transition with social justice for all.

9. The agreements signed by governments with the Agenda 2030, Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change meet the objectives of Laudato Si. The ILO commission of future of work must look beyond technology and recognize the breath of domestic, rural, industrial and service work to achieve the expectations of these documents. Recommendations must be visionary and include proposals for new standards necessary to meet emerging challenges in the world of work.

10. Recognising the historic levels of inequality born of a model that feeds corporate greed and promotes low wages, the global wages campaign of the trade unions is essential to ensure that no worker is paid below the minimum living wage that ensures people can live with dignity. It is essential that employers respect for the right of workers to collectively bargain for a fair wage, and re-establish a correct equilibrium between working and family time, including the benefits of a “common day off”.

The fight against poverty and exclusion needs to involve all organisations willing to work for the care and protection of their constituents in the struggle for justice, and must include the vulnerable in the world of work, and must fight against all types of corruption.

11. In the context of a troubled world, the commitment of workers' organisations to peace in a world free of nuclear weapons, and the adoption of the paradigm of nonviolent political action proposed by Pope Francis in the World Day of Peace 2017 is particularly important. Conflict and division destroys trust in institutions and increasingly democracies. The politics of extremism including xenophobia, racism and all forms of exclusions must be rejected if we are to achieve the common good.

12. The presence of organisations from all over the world, from all regions, and from a large number of nations makes it urgent to have regional and global coordinated and articulated actions of the workers' movement. For this, the defence and promotion of trade union freedoms and rights that are one of the basic pillars of democratic coexistence, and the construction of an inclusive and proactive social agenda are essential.

13. In order to continue the dialogue started in this forum, it is essential to convene local and regional meetings as a follow up to this one so as to foster dialogue among trade unions and bodies of the Church and other actors.

We call on intellectuals, business leaders, employers, civil society organisations, international organisations and especially the governments of nations, to take ownership of the challenges and opportunities and act in solidarity for integral, inclusive and sustainable development. With “work, land and housing for all”.

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Venerable Brother
Cardinal Peter K.A. Turkson
Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development

In these days, convened by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, the representatives of the various trade union organizations and workers’ movements met in Rome to reflect on and discuss the theme “From Populorum progressio to Laudato si’. Work and workers’ movements at the centre of integral, sustainable and fraternal human development”. I thank your Eminence and your collaborators, and cordially greet you all.

Blessed Paul VI, in his Encyclical Populorum progressio, states that “development … cannot be restricted to economic growth alone. To be authentic, it must be well rounded”, that is, it must fully promote the entire person, and also all people and populations.[1] And since “a person flourishes in work”,[2] the social doctrine of the Church has highlighted on several occasions that this is not one issue among many, but rather the “essential key” to the whole social question.[3] Indeed, work “is the condition not only for economic development but also for the cultural and moral development of persons, the family, society”.[4]

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FOR THE DIGNITY OF WORK AND FOR A UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME
A WORLD SOLIDARITY CALL

Lord God, source of all Holiness and all dignity, we pray in confidence on this important day.

You created us in your image, in your dignity, and you entrusted us to this world so that all men and women of our country live in that essential dignity. Lord, look! Look at these millions of men, women, children and young people who survive in unworthy conditions of the human being ... unworthy of you, God of Love.

Look at all those who live without a roof to protect them, without a land that feed them, without a job that accomplishes them.

Look at those who breathe, eat and drink, or work in conditions or environments that do not respect their dignity.

Lord, this 7th October, 2017, we want to express our will with our movement to give hope to this world that you hand us.

As our Pope Francisco says: "things have a price and can be sold, but people have a dignity, they are worth more than things and their dignity is priceless to negotiate! '. Father Cardijn also said: "A (young) worker is worth more than all the gold in the world because he/she is the son and daughter of God." With them and thanks to them, we know perfectly well that human dignity is linked to a rewarding job and to a sufficient remuneration.

We want, Lord, to inspire the economic and political leaders of our country and the whole planet to put the Human at the centre of all their decisions.

Lord also inspires all militant movements like the WMCW so that all good will men and women build a new world that resembles your Kingdom.

Lord, inspire us all so that we fight with greater force against fatality and anything that threatens the dignity of people. This is how we will be the witnesses of Your Love.

This is how we will proclaim Your hope for tomorrow and forever and ever.

Amen.

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From the 15th to the 21st of July, 120 delegates representing Catholic movements of workers from 42 countries and under the motto “Land, Roof and Work for a dignified life” will gather in the University of Mystic in Avila.

During the International Seminar, to be held from Saturday 15th to Tuesday 18th of July, the focus will be set on the issues of how to build a solidary society, the current threats to human dignity and the situation of the right to work, analysed from the perspective of the employment situation of the workers and that knowledge provided by the delegates of the regions of the World Catholic Movement Workers (WCMW) of the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe. During the inauguration we will have the Mayor and the Bishop of Avila, as well as other political, trade union and eclesiastical prominent figures.

The director of the ILO office in Spain is forseen to participate in the dialogue as well as representatives of the International Trade Union sphere and popular movements, to speak about the world employment situation, the trends, the present and the past. Pope Francis´ perspective on human work shall be presented by the Bishop of the Workers´ Pastoral (Pastoral Obrera) of the Spanish Episcopal Conference. This is also a very important moment in the history of WCMW, as it celerates 50 year of commitment with the evangelization of the world of work.

The work will continue during the General Assembly, which will begin on Wednesday 19th and end on the 21st of July. During the Assembly the activities carried out during the past 4 years will be evaluated, elections will be held for the co-preidency, the treasurer, the chaplain and the International Council (coordinatin structure), Moreover, the approval of the Action Plan and proposals for actions for WCMW and its affiliates for the years 2017-2012 will take place. The president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, Ricardo Blázquez will participate in the Assembly.

Communication and internet.

Both events will develop wth a communication strategy that will have an impact on the web www.mmtc-infor.com and the social profiles of this world movement. In this regard, Twitter and Facebook will use the hashtag #3TVD for following the events and conversation with the public. For the coordination of such strategy and to respond to the media, the Office of Communication has been created, coordinated by Abraham Canales, director of magazine “Noticias Obreras” (workers news).

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Gathered to discuss and renew our commitment to bringing the Gospel closer to the world of work, we have completed the work of the International Seminar and the General Assembly – WMCW - on the theme "Land, Housing and Work for a decent life". This seminar was held in Avila, Spain, from 15 to 21 July 2017, and has brought together 120 delegates from 42 movements of Christian workers from Africa, America, Asia and Europe.

During these days, we have lived together in a caring and fraternal way. We were welcomed by the city, its diocese, its mass media and for that we are very grateful. During our meeting, we were able to welcome among us the main leaders of the Church and the trade union representatives of Spain, who encouraged us to continue building bridges between the world of the Church and the world of work.

We thank God for 50 years of Christian presence in the world of work and for this journey alongside so many working brothers, sharing their doubts and hopes, their joys and their sorrows.

We feel supported by Pope Francis in our task of evangelization. In his message to our Assembly, through the Bishop of Avila, the Pope invites us to « bring the Gospel closer to the world of work, so that the voice of workers continues to resonate within the Church; and to lead the struggle so that the whole world can live in dignity, with no one excluded from it. »

From our perspective of believers, we have shared our experience and our presence in the different realities of the movements that make up the WMCW. The International Labour Organization (ILO), the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and the Popular Movement of Forgotten Neighbourhoods shared their experience with us. We have deepened the teaching of Pope Francis on pastoral work, the economy of rejection and decent work.

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