Young U.S. workers meet Cyprus labor activists, strengthening bonds of international solidarity – People’s World

Report on International Labor Solidarity and Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: U.S. and Cypriot Labor Movements Converge on SDGs

A recent meeting in Nicosia, Cyprus, brought together U.S. and Cypriot labor organizations to discuss shared challenges and strategies, highlighting a commitment to advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The dialogue involved:

• Members of the Communist Party USA’s (CPUSA) Labor Commission
• Delegates from the Hello Comrade program
• Leaders of the Pancyprian Federation of Labor (PEO)
• The General Secretary of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU)

The discussions centered on unified struggles against exploitation, oppression, and militarism, reflecting a direct engagement with SDGs concerning decent work, inequality, and peace.

Historical Context: PEO’s Legacy in Advancing Labor Rights and Social Justice (SDG 8 & SDG 16)

The Cypriot labor movement, exemplified by PEO, has a long history of advocating for principles aligned with the SDGs, particularly in challenging colonial and corporate power.

1. Early 20th Century: Socialists pioneered the first labor unions under British colonial rule, laying the groundwork for organized labor before it was legally codified.
2. 1941: Over 40 unions formed the Pancyprian Trade Union Committee (PSE), a landmark initiative promoting solidarity between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, directly addressing SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).
3. 1946: Following the suppression of socialist unions, workers established PEO to continue the legacy of revolutionary labor organizing.
4. 1948: A major strike by miners and construction workers against a U.S.-owned company demonstrated that collective action could overcome colonial oppression, a key victory for SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

Contemporary Challenges and Alignment with SDG Targets

PEO’s current organizing efforts confront modern challenges that intersect with several SDG targets.

• Migrant Worker Exploitation: The precarious situation of migrant domestic workers, who face low wages and illegal passport withholding, represents a critical challenge to SDG 8 and SDG 10. PEO’s focus on organizing these workers underscores the principle that migrants’ rights are integral to labor rights.
• Youth Labor Issues: Young workers in Cyprus face stagnant wages, unaffordable housing, and unsafe working conditions, issues that are central to the promotion of decent work under SDG 8.
• Peace and Demilitarization: PEO advocates for the removal of British military bases and stands in solidarity with Palestinian liberation, opposing the use of Cyprus as a base for military conflict. This position strongly supports SDG 16 by promoting peace and justice over militarism.

U.S. Labor Movement: Parallels in the Pursuit of Sustainable Development

The report notes a convergence of social movements within the U.S., reflecting a growing recognition of interconnected struggles that align with the SDGs.

• SDG 8: Widespread labor actions resist union-busting and advocate for fair wages and working conditions.
• SDG 5 (Gender Equality) & SDG 10: Organizations campaign against attacks on women’s rights and defend immigrant communities from state-led raids.
• SDG 16: Peace activists challenge the allocation of national wealth toward war and corporate profit.

The coordination between these movements demonstrates an integrated approach to achieving economic, social, and political justice.

Fostering Global Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17)

The meeting in Nicosia serves as a model for SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), emphasizing international cooperation as a crucial tool for the global labor movement.

• The exchange between U.S. activists and Cypriot organizations like PEO and AKEL provides a framework for learning from successful, unified struggles against division and exploitation.
• The meeting between young U.S. trade unionists and the WFTU General Secretary has advanced future cooperation between progressive U.S. unions and the global labor federation.
• The conclusion drawn from the international meeting is that a unified, internationalist approach is necessary to dismantle systems that exploit and divide workers, thereby building a future rooted in the principles of justice, peace, and collective power as envisioned by the Sustainable Development Goals.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article discusses several interconnected struggles related to labor rights, social justice, and international politics, which are relevant to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

• SDG 5: Gender Equality – The article mentions the struggles of women’s organizations and the specific exploitation faced by domestic care workers, who are predominantly women migrants.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – This is a central theme, focusing on labor rights, unionization, exploitation of workers, stagnant wages, and unsafe working conditions.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities – The article addresses inequalities based on class, ethnicity, and migrant status, highlighting the struggles of the working poor, immigrants, and the division between Greek and Turkish Cypriots.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions – The text discusses militarism, colonial oppression, foreign military occupation, and the fight for political democracy, all of which are central to this goal.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – The article emphasizes the importance of international solidarity and cooperation between labor movements, such as the meeting between U.S. unionists and Cypriot and international labor federations.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the issues discussed, the following specific targets can be identified:

1. SDG 5: Gender Equality
   • Target 5.6: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights. This is referenced in the mention of “women’s organizations struggle against attacks on abortion rights.”
2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • Target 8.8: Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment. This is the core theme, supported by references to “resists union-busting,” the “right to unionize,” “unsafe conditions,” and the organization of migrant domestic workers.
   • Target 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking. The situation of domestic care workers whose “employers illegally withhold their passports” is a form of forced labor.
   • Target 8.5: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men… and equal pay for work of equal value. The article points to the lack of decent work through its discussion of “stagnant wages” and the “super-exploitation” of migrant workers earning “under €400 per week.”
3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of… ethnicity, origin… or other status. This is demonstrated by the struggle to unite “Greek and Turkish Cypriots” against manufactured division and the principle that “migrants’ rights are labor rights.”
   • Target 10.7: Facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people. The article highlights the negative side of this target by describing the “perilous situation” and “super-exploitation” of migrant workers, indicating a lack of well-managed migration policies.
4. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
   • Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere. This is relevant to the fight against “militarism,” the “1974 Turkish invasion,” and the “military occupation” of Cyprus.
   • Target 16.a: Strengthen relevant national institutions… to prevent violence. The article discusses resistance to Cyprus’s land being used as a “launchpad for war” and the demand for the “removal of British military bases,” which are actions aimed at preventing violence and promoting peace.
5. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   • Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships. The article provides a clear example of civil society partnerships through the meeting of the “Communist Party USA’s Labor Commission” with “PEO leaders” and the “cooperation between the WFTU and progressive U.S. unions” to build an “internationalist struggle.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article implies several indicators that could measure progress:

1. For SDG 8 (Decent Work):
   • Freedom of association: The article’s focus on the “right to unionize” and resistance to “union-busting” implies that the legal protection and practical exercise of forming unions is a key measure of progress.
   • Wages and earnings: The specific mention of domestic workers earning “under €400 per week” provides a concrete, though informal, indicator of low wages for a specific group of workers.
   • Forced labor prevalence: The practice of employers “illegally withhold[ing] their passports” is a direct indicator of forced labor conditions that can be tracked and measured.
2. For SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities):
   • Social cohesion: The continued effort by PEO to organize “Greek and Turkish Cypriots in unity” serves as an indicator of efforts to overcome ethnic division.
   • Protection of migrants: The fight against “super-exploitation” of migrant workers and the push to recognize that “migrants’ rights are labor rights” can be measured by changes in laws and the number of reported cases of exploitation.
3. For SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions):
   • Foreign military presence: The demand for the “removal of British military bases” suggests that the number and size of foreign military installations can be used as an indicator of a country’s sovereignty and demilitarization.
   • Political resolution of conflict: The reference to the “1974 Turkish invasion” and “entrenched military occupation” implies that the extent of occupied territory is a key indicator of the lack of peace and justice.
4. For SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals):
   • Number of international partnerships: The article explicitly describes “meetings” and “cooperation between the WFTU and progressive U.S. unions,” suggesting that the number and effectiveness of such cross-border civil society partnerships is a direct indicator of progress.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: peoplesworld.org