At its General Assembly in Avila, Spain from 15-21 July, the World Movement of Christian Workers (WMCW) focused on the theme “Land, Housing and Work for a decent life”.
In the final statement from the assembly, the movement committed itself to “offering our work and our struggles to all the workers of the world, at local, regional and global level.”
“This is how we will realize our evangelization mission. We intend to adapt the organization of the WMCW to better respond to this challenge,” the assembly concluded.
The final statement continued:
We are committed to :
1. Strengthen our militant lifestyle, our formation and our revision of life in accordance with our faith in Jesus Christ, with the Gospel and the social doctrine of the Church.
2. Promote the relationship between movements and the workers pastoral: we need to be a voice in the Church and a voice in the world of work, with particular attention to the most excluded and precarious people.
3. Analyze the regional situation of workers in order to create dynamics that denounce situations of vulnerability of rights and protect the dignity of the person. Promote equal opportunities for men and women in all areas, also within our organizations. Contribute to the training of young Christian workers.
4. Encourage alliances with other major actors at local and regional level who share our approach to decent work and the construction of the common good.
5. To promote solidarity and common action with popular movements, during World Meetings, in a dialogue with the Pope, and at specific meetings by zone or region.
6. Continue to invite all Christian Workers movements to take part to the International Day of Decent Work (7 October), together with the world trade union movement and the International Labour Organization.
7. Propose at local and regional level a confluence of Catholic-inspired organizations, and in doing so try to launch an international initiative of the Church in favour of decent work.
8. Demand decent work for all.
9. Urge states to guarantee a social wage or citizen’s income that will help avoid the rejection of millions of people if access to decent work is not guaranteed.
The General Assembly also elected a new International Bureau to lead its work for the next four years.
SOURCE
Final Statement of the International Seminar and General Assembly of WMCW – Ávila (Spain) 2017 (WMCW)
Thanks for this email Stefan. What a great statement of objectives the WMCW has adopted, for many in Australia these objectives are in place due to the great contrbution made by workers through their trade unions over many decades. Not all workers are so fortunate and many now are finding shelter a most expensive requirement. I am dissapointed that following a most successful period for the YCW a Christian Worker Movement has not developed in Australia. I pray that this initiative would come about in the near future.