IMF salutes Lula's Victory
In a congratulatory message to the newly-elected Brazilian president, the International Metalworkers' Federation pledges its support.
The International Metalworkers' Federation has greeted the victory of Luiz Inácio da Silva - "Lula" - as the newly-elected president of Brazil with great joy, and in a message of good wishes to Brazil's new president said that it was "a proud moment not only for you but indeed all the metalworkers of the world to savour this momentous occasion."
Congratulating Lula on his triumph, the IMF general secretary wrote that "the fact a metalworker like yourself can and has been elected to the highest post in your country gives us all tremendous hope for the future of the labour movement."
In view of the great imbalances of distribution of wealth that previous governments of Brazil have created, Lula's task will be daunting, but Malentacchi believed the newly-elected president and his party, the Workers Party, would have the will and capacity to deal positively and with haste to the many problems they may face, not just for the workers of Brazil, but indeed for all citizens in the country.
"The Brazilian economy, along with the economy of many other Latin American countries, has been mismanaged by your predecessors," said the IMF general secretary. "This has caused great hardships for all Brazilians, particularly the working class and peasants in your country. Your task will be enormous, but given the support of your people, you can only succeed."
The IMF pledged its support to Lula and the Workers Party and their tireless efforts on behalf of the millions of workers in Brazil. In view of its strong relationship over the years with the former metalworker, Malentacchi said the IMF would "remain willing to engage with you on any and all issues facing the metalworkers in your great country." ( IMF,October 28, 2002)
USWA Hails Lula Election Victory
United Steelworkers of America (USWA) President Leo W. Gerard today hailed the election of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as "a great day for the people of Brazil and great news to unions and working people throughout the hemisphere."
"Lula," the former President of the Brazilian Metalworkers Union, ABC/CUT and a member of Brazil's Worker's Party, was elected in Sunday's runoff election. Gerard is in Brazil where he is chairing a global conference of unions representing workers of tire plants throughout the world. Gerard and USWA National Director for Canada, Lawrence McBrearty, were planning to join the Worker's Party celebration Sunday before the start of the conference.
"In recent years we've worked closely with CUT and other unions in Brazil," Gerard said, "to deal with the challenges of globalization in a way that strengthens the voice of workers. Lula's victory Sunday, in which more citizens voted than in any election in the history of the world's democracies, sends a clear message to policy makers that the pain being inflicted on societies like Brazil's by globalization as it is currently practiced is a formula that has to be changed.
"We're confident," Gerard said, "that Lula's government will take steps to calm the overheated fears of Wall Street and Bay Street. Our greater concern is that International Monetary Fund (IMF) will continue to turn a deaf ear to the overpowering voice of democracy expressed by the people of Brazil who have suffered so much as a result of unfettered free market policies that ignore the need for the humane social and employment policies necessary to ameliorate this nation's crushing poverty."
McBrearty added that "having an elected President of Brazil who understands these concerns will go a long way toward solving Brazil's economic problems and creating greater understanding among the investment community of working people's concerns."
Both Steelworker leaders said they looked forward to the prospect of
"Lula" articulating a progressive message about the interests of working people and their importance to economic recovery in Brazil and throughout thehemisphere. (http://www.uswa.org, October 28, 2002)