Cuban union leaders welcomed to Unison conference
Campaign News | Thursday, 29 June 2017
Dulce María Iglesias Suárez addresses the local government conference
Santiago Badía González, SNTS General Secretary (Cuban Health Workers' Union) and Dulce María Iglesias Suárez, SNTAP General Secretary (Cuban Public Administration Workers' Union) were guests at Unison’s national conference in Brighton in June. They addressed the Local Government Conference, International Rally and the CSC fringe meeting, and met with regional delegations to discuss strengthening relations between the two unions.
Speaking to almost 1,000 delegates at Local Government Conference, Dulce María described how the economic failure and social disaster of the global financial meltdown had been “devastating for the poorest of the world,” she said that neoliberal governments have created threats to the world itself and to people across the planet.
“Neoliberalism is not a viable system and its social consequences are disastrous.
“The alternative is to globalise solidarity and co-operation” and trade unionists have a responsibility to work toward that.
In Latin America and the Caribbean today, 106 million young people face unemployment or only casual work, Ms Suárez said.
“We have the right to construct a different world to the world they’re trying to impose.”
Quoting Fidel Castro from 1998, she told delegates: “The future depends on ourselves. Globalisation should be a globalisation of brotherhood, sustainable development and fairness of resources.”
Dave Prentis, UNISON general secretary, also quoted Fidel Castro during his speech to to the national conference telling delegates "Only unity can bring victory.”
More than 150 delegates attended a packed CSC meeting during conference. Santiago Badia Gonzalez began his contribution with a tribute to the late Unison president and friend of Cuba, Eric Roberts.
The health workers’ general secretary gave an inspiring roll call of Cuba’s achievements in healthcare, despite the huge negative impact of the US blockade on the sector.
“Due to Cuba's leading healthcare system, life expectancy is now 80.4 women and 76.6 for men.
"In 2015, Cuba became the first country on Earth to successfully eradicate the transmission of HIV and syphilis from mother to child.
“We have now successfully developed vaccinations for 11 diseases in Cuba, due to investment in our health service and biotechnology.”
"In Cuba, infant mortality is now 4.3 per 1,000 births, one of the best rates in the world”, he said, to much applause.
Dulce Maria Suarez gave an update on US-Cuba relations, in a rousing speech which ended in a standing ovation: "I'm not going to talk too much about one US administration or another, because although they change, their intention is always the same.
"What the US Empire hates is that us Cubans, we will never give up our own destiny. We know that and the US knows that."
She said how the new Cuba policy recently introduced by Trump is an attack on international solidarity, as it will “stop Cuban trade unionists from travelling to the US for exchanges with trade unions in the US".
Tom Jones, Thompsons Solicitors, said at the fringe "It's a tragedy that Trump is where he is, but it's through international solidarity that we can resist his form of politics."
UNISON North West Regional Convenor Paula Barker chaired the meeting. “Cuba has achieved so much, despite all the difficulties of the US blockade. But if the blockade was to be lifted, they could achieve so much more. Please do affiliate your branch to CSC and support the campaign to end the blockade”.
Tom Jones, Thompsons Solicitors, said at the fringe "It's a tragedy that Trump is where he is, but it's through international solidarity that we can resist his form of politics."
UNISON North West Regional Convenor Paula Barker chaired the meeting. “Cuba has achieved so much, despite all the difficulties of the US blockade. But if the blockade was to be lifted, they could achieve so much more. Please do affiliate your branch to CSC and support the campaign to end the blockade”.
Jenni Gunn, a UNISON Scotland delegate on the 2017 young trade unionists May Day brigade to Cuba, gave an inspiring contribution at the end of the fringe. “Going to Cuba and seeing the achievements of the Revolution – achievements that have taken place in the context of an over 55 year US blockade - has reaffirmed my values as a socialist and someone who wants to see a better world. I’d urge all young members who get the chance to attend the brigade and to join and affiliate their branch to CSC”.
CSC would like to thank Thompsons Solicitors, UNISON Scotland, North West and Greater London regions for sponsoring the CSC fringe meeting.
