Trade unionism in the face of authoritarian nationalism

The International Labour Network for Solidarity and Struggles is publishing this press release from the Francophone Trade Union University of the Global Labour Institute.

The Global Labor Institute (GLI) International Trade Union University brought together trade unionists from 35 countries across all continents close to Paris from December 1 to 3 2025 to discuss “Trade unionism in the face of authoritarian nationalism”.

Comrades from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ukraine, and Palestine presented us the war, crimes against humanity, and even genocide that have been ongoing for decades in their countries and called for concrete forms of international solidarity. We, trade unionists from around the world, declare our solidarity with all countries suffering from imperialist wars, including Sudan. We support the resistance of the local populations and call for the release of political prisoners. We condemn all forms of violence, including sexual violence, against civilians, as well as the exploitation of children by multinational corporations in the extractive industry.

We call on all trade unions to take concrete actions and commit themselves to international solidarity and against colonialism and imperialism. The internationalist struggle for solidarity can take many forms. Trade unions can carry out economic boycotts against regimes that start wars, companies collaborating with a state committing crimes against humanity or genocide. We particularly salute the struggle of Italian workers and their general strike against both the genocide in Gaza and Meloni's far-right regime. We also call on workers in imperialist countries to monitor, denounce, and block any form of collaboration, including the manufacture and delivery of war materials to aggressor countries. We encourage workers and people around the world to forge links with civil society and amplify the voices of trade unionists in countries at war, as well as in all countries under authoritarian or far-right governments. In the context of the ris

 of fascism, trade unionism and international solidarity are an indispensable form of engagement and resistance.