Arnon Bar-David, elected vice president and member of the leadership of the ITUC

Today (Tuesday) the 5th congress of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) closed in Melbourne, Australia. The Congress was attended by trade unionists from 212 organizations, representing over 90 million workers worldwide. The congress was held after four years and against the backdrop of Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Covid-19 crisis, and the cost of living and energy crises.

During the congress, Luca Visentini, an Italian trade unionist, former General Secretary of the ETUC, and with vast experience in the world of labour, was elected the new General-Secretary of the organization, succeeding Sharan Burrow after a tenure of 12 years at the helm. Alongside Visentini, Deputy General Secretaries Eric Mwezi Manzi, Jordania Ureña Lora, Owen Tudor; President Akiko Gono; Deputy Presidents Cathy Feingold, and Antonio Lisboa were elected.

In addition, in recognition of the Histadrut’s contribution to the world’s largest social movement, the Chairman of the Histadrut, Arnon Bar-David, was elected to the role of vice president. Avital Shapira was also elected to the leadership of the organization and a member of the Women’s Committee of the ITUC.

The Histadrut was represented at the Congress by the Director General of the Division for International Relations, Peter Lerner, the International Secretary of the Histadrut, Avital Shapira, and Or Ratzabi, a youth representative from NOAL, the Histadrut’s Working and Learning Youth organization.

In her speech to the Congress plenary, Avital Shapira underlined the Histadrut’s achievements during the COVID-19 crisis, collective agreements, and raising awareness in the fight to prevent violence against women. Also, Shapira mentioned the Histadrut’s call for the incoming government to join the Convention for the Prevention of Harassment and Violence in Workplaces and the concern for disadvantaged populations in general and Palestinian workers in particular. Or Ratzabi presented the activities of NOAL on behalf of refugee children from Ukraine in aid missions, as well as in the activity of welcoming Ukrainian children into the community in Israel.

Peter Lerner, Director General of the Division for International Relations: “We came to the ITUC Congress to represent the workers in Israel. We met many partners from all continents and felt that there was a shared destiny, given the challenges of our times. Also, we felt a great desire to hear about the situation of the workers in Israel and the ways the Histadrut is facing the political, economic, and social challenges. Along with this, we found partners who are willing to support the activities of the Histadrut, especially for disadvantaged populations and Palestinian workers in Israel. It is clear to us that a united global labor movement, which is the largest social movement in the world, must stand together in solidarity to defend workers and their rights around the world.”