President Lula Welcomes Representatives from International Trade Unions

On the morning of Wednesday, December 4, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva met with a delegation from the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), led by its president, Luc Triangle. The Confederation is holding its World Congress in Brazil.

During the meeting at the Planalto Palace, Triangle recalled that the international trade union movement is the largest social movement in the world. He congratulated Lula for his leadership as President of Brazil and for his role in the G20, as well as for the summit declaration, which contains clear language on reducing inequality and advancing labor rights. “Your role as President of Brazil, as well as your personal commitment, cannot be understated,” Triangle said.

The delegation included trade union representatives from the United States, Nigeria, Moldova, Norway, South Africa, Japan, Venezuela, and other countries. ITUC President Triangle also expressed his support for Brazil’s efforts to advance agreements and measures to address climate change at COP30.

The delegation urged President Lula to continue promoting workers’ issues at international forums such as the United Nations, the G20, and BRICS. Catherine Feingold, a representative from the AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations), praised Lula for his partnership with the Biden administration in support of the decent work initiative, which has received backing from South Africa. She expressed hope that this collaboration would continue even after a change in U.S. leadership.

The trade unionists presented a photo taken exactly six years ago, when they gathered in Copenhagen on December 4, 2018, alongside a flag from the "Lula Livre" (“Free Lula”) movement.

President Lula addressed the political and labor landscape in the international context, mentioning the issues Brazil prioritized during its G20 presidency: the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty, climate change, and reforming global governance and the financial system to support the world’s poorest countries.

Lula also thanked the labor movement for its solidarity during his imprisonment from 2018 to 2019. He emphasized that he remains deeply connected to his roots as a trade unionist and continues to engage with the labor movement.