The World Federation of Trade Unions, (WFTU) addresses the world public opinion and the international working class and expresses its solidarity with the people of Pakistan who is facing heavy torrential rains and flood that left dozens of people dead and displaced. Among the victims are also workers of the coal mines in Orazkai region, where 30 coal miners were trapped and 8 never went back home, after the mine collapsed because of the heavy rain.

The last few years, there are thousands of dead from “natural disasters”, like the deadly mega floods of 2010 that left 2.000 people dead and thousands of displaced families.

This situation is permanent in Pakistan and many other capitalist countries. Despite the progress of science and technology in civil protection sector, the workers, the poor, the toiling masses in capitalist countries remain unprotected when facing natural disasters, earthquakes, epidemics, fires.

It is a matter of class. It is unacceptable that during earthquakes poor people get killed, during fires poor people are burnt, during floods are again the poor who get drown. Those in charge put the blame on the “wrath of nature” or say its “an act of god”, But, the blame for the victims of “natural disasters” lies with the class policies of capitalist governments, who -in order to serve the interests of the capital- let the shortcomings in infrastructure and protection measures persist and allow it so that the people stay unprotected facing “natural disaster”.

WFTU follows the developments in the region and we express our moral support and solidarity with the victims and the labor movement of Pakistan. We call the government of Pakistan to immediately take all necessary relief measures for those affected by the floods and also take all necessary protection measures so that tragedies like this one never happen again.

The World Federation of Trade Unions expresses its class solidarity with the journalists of Fairfax Media who are striking against the 120 dismissals due to “redundancies and cost-cutting measures at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Australian Financial Review” announced by the company.

Their strike is a response to the company’s decision to cut down workers’ rights, trying to place the burden of the capitalist crisis on the backs of the workers.The class unity among the workers, regardless the sector they work in, if they have a permanent or a temporal job and their class oriented struggle can defend the workers’ rights and set the foundations for the struggle for a world without capitalist exploitation.

On behalf of the 92 million workers in 126 countries of the world, the WFTU reiterates its full solidarity with the workers Fairfax Media and we call them to continue their struggle until all their righteous demands are fulfilled