World Movement of Christian Workers

Details: Also available:

World Day for Decent Work is a day to commemorate the struggles and achievements of the labour movement and workers worldwide. This day recognises the historic fight for fair wages, safe working conditions, and social justice.

Each WMCW member has their own labour issues arising from their own cultural, geographical, political and economic situations. On the celebration of the World Day for Decent Work 2025, the Singapore movement shares the reality of work in their country.

In Singapore, work appears highly regulated by laws mandating, for example, overtime limits, medical, annual and parental leave. Recently, steps were taken to ensure at least industrial accident protection for ‘gig’ workers of online vehicle hire platforms.

But the long-standing mantra of ‘tripartism’, ostensibly meaning partnership between labour, business and government, remains at best ambivalent to decent work, because in reality, it justifies co-opting unions. Singapore workers continue to clock in long hours daily. Constant availability is part of work culture expectations.

Details: Also available:

The International Council of the World Movement of Christian Workers (WMCW) met from July 11 to 15, 2025, at the Savelberg Retreat Centre in Nairobi, Kenya. As usual, the Council meeting was preceded by the Executive Committee meeting, held from July 8 to 10, 2025.

The meeting was marked by three key highlights:

Deliberations on various topics related to MMTC’s life, such as the realities of member movements, spiritual accompaniment, finances, affiliation of new movements, and more.
The Eucharistic celebration, led by the international chaplain and animated by members of the Kenyan movement.
A field visit to one of the grassroots groups in the Diocese of Nairobi, which runs a project transforming collected plastic waste as part of local environmental protection efforts.

Below are some photos illustrating the activities:

Bureau members

Details: Also available:

Mr Chairman,

Mr Managing Director,

Ladies and Gentlemen Delegates,

I am speaking as co-president of the World Movement of Christian Workers. Today, it brings together more than 50 organisations from four continents.

We welcome the clarity and commitment expressed in the Director General's Report. We share his diagnosis: the link between employment, rights and growth is weakening in a context of growing discontent, insecurity and inequality. We see this in our communities, among impoverished and precarious workers with no access to social protection or real participation.

The statement that work is a question of "respect for the dignity" of each person resonates fully with our Christian vision of work as a means of personal fulfilment, service to the common good and fraternity between peoples.

Details: Also available:

MTKR1

Since 1890, May Day has been known as a day to demonstrate and demand workers' rights. It is also a day to celebrate the gains and achievements of the working class. On this occasion, the World Movement of Christian Workers invites its members to join with other workers around the world to "always call attention to the dignity and rights of those who work, to condemn situations in which this dignity and these rights are violated, and to help bring about changes that will ensure authentic progress for man and society" (Pope John Paul II, Encyclical Laborem Exercens). In 2025, the call is made through this message written by the Reunion Island Movement.

Details: Also available:

Since its inception, International Women's Day has been an opportunity to show the world that no development is possible as long as millions of girls and women continue to suffer discrimination of all kinds, have their fundamental rights trampled underfoot, and endure violence of all kinds. For the WMCW, men and women are created equal by God, have the same mandate to steward creation, and enjoy the same prerogatives and rights. Within this framework, the WMCW will spare no effort in the struggle for "a world in which every woman and girl can exercise her freedoms and choices and know and enjoy all her rights, including the right to live free from violence, the right to education, the right to participate in decision-making and the right to equal pay for equal work". (UN)

On the occasion of the celebration of International Women's Day 2025, the Indian movement urges us, on the basis of its concrete achievements in favor of women's empowerment, to redouble our efforts in our commitment to contribute to the realization of a just and sustainable world.