A Communique by the Confederation of Labour of Russia (KTR)

The Confederation of Labour of Russia, as a part of the international trade union movement, considering its direct responsibilities to the working people of Russia, Ukraine and the whole world, and recognising its role in promoting and ensuring peace between peoples, is extremely disturbed at the events now taking place.

The Confederation of Labour of Russia is convinced that all disagreements and contradictions—however deep and however longstanding—must be resolved by negotiations, on the basis of goodwill and adherence to the principle of world peace. This vision has been an integral part of the global and anti-militarist outlook of the workers’ movement for more than a century, and has been realised through the establishment of international institutions and mechanisms tasked with ensuring peace.

The Confederation of Labour of Russia notes, with great bitterness, that it is the working people of our countries, on both sides, who are suffering as a direct result of military conflict. Intensification of the conflict threatens a devastating shock to our nations’ economies and social support systems, and a fall in workers’ living standards. It would open the door to a massive wave of breaches of working citizens’ labour rights.

With regard to all the above, the Confederation of Labour of Russia expresses its belief in the need for the cessation of military action, as rapidly as possible, and the renewal of peaceful dialogue and coexistence between the multinational peoples of Russia and Ukraine.

The Council of the Confederation of Labour of Russia

Moscow, 25 February 2022