Premal Kumar Khanal
The working class people of the world are forced to pay a price for poverty, unemployment and repression as Neo-liberal capitalism and imperialism intensify their attacks on war, exploitation, inequality and labor rights.There is no longer any alternative for them to organize, struggle and rise in international struggle against safe jobs, just wages, social security, peace and imperialist intervention.
The year 2026 has come amidst many struggles and challenges.The past year 2,25 once again confirmed the deep structural crisis of capitalist system.Economic instability created by Neo-liberal capitalism,increased income inequality and intensified exploitation.Imperialism increased geopolitical pressures,tension,warfare and interference.As a result world’s working people are paying a heavy price for poverty,unemployment,refugee displacement,repression and social segregation and reduction of labour rights.
Imperialist aggression and militarization is the war, murder, violence, terror carried out by US-backed NATO military alliance at this time in world.This is happening to enforce political and economic domination of a sovereign country, secure profits for monopoly and control strategic resource means and markets.
The imperialist United States has arrested President Maduro and his wife in the middle of the night on January 3rd, by inhumanly arresting them and holding them under police custody.The US intervened against Venezuela’s sovereignty,Democracy,the principles of the United Nations,Panchasheel and human rights.
The US intervention was an attack against China and Russia’s economic support of Venezuela, as well as their bilateral trade.The US has intervened with the nefarious obsession to seize Venezuela’s natural wealth, resources ,minerals, oil and form its puppet government.This attack is being repelled from all over the world.
By doing this, the Palestinian people have been fighting against a genocidal fascist Israeli government for the past seven decades in defense of their homeland.The cruel and inhuman act of imperialism has once again come to light.By the end of 2025 more than 63 thousand Palestinians lost their lives and this number is increasing.What was confirmed by the massacre in Gaza ceasefire and agreements made by the imperialist powers, under their control and supervision, cannot ensure just or lasting peace.Even if it seems that the imperialists work in the interest of the Palestinian people’s right to freedom and dignity and monopolistic geopolitical domination.
The World Federation of Trade Unions-WFTU has expressed its solidarity with the Palestinian people struggling for freedom, justice and self-determination of the Palestinian people to immediately lift their criminal blockade on Cuba and end all forms of imperialist pressure and exploitation.Similarly Venezuelans are fighting against the acute threats, military provocations, economic warfare, economic blockade interventions by the Imperial US that is interfering with Venezuela’s sovereignty.It even challenges political stability in Latin America.
The past years did not become comfortable for the lower income working class, as Neo-liberal economics has created a new anti-labour law to force workers from low pay, permanent appointment swap contracts, contracts and outsourcing to leave their homeland, because of wars and conflicts, forcing them to go abroad.The productive industries in various countries have started shutting down as neo liberal capitalism began taking on the character of brokerage capitalism.
Workers are facing an intensifying assault on wages, working conditions, social security and trade union freedom due to Neo-liberal economics.Government and multinational monopolies are accelerating policies of privatisation, labour regulation and repression.They are trying to criminalize workers” just struggle and undermine the trade union organization.Right to strike and right to organize have been in many countries contracting.
Workers from all over the world are agitating for real wage growth,safe employment with full labour and social rights, guarentee of wage remuneration with 35 hours work per week and 7 hours a day, universal, public and free access to health care, education and social security and safe and healthy workplaces and respect for human dignity at work.Neoliberal capitalism and imperialists are making harsh and acute attacks against the labor and social achievements of working people and their democratic and trade union freedoms.High cost of living and high inflation are mercilessly undermining the standard of living of retired workers.
The war, conflict and mercantile capitalism have increased unemployment, uncertainty and influx of mass immigration or refugees.Also excessive labor exploitation by workers practising cheap labour has been exacerbated.The popular and anti-labor legal provisions systematically promoted by Neo-liberal governments have significantly weakened labor rights and collective bargaining agreements.Hiring through individual contracts, privatizing public enterprises, outsourcing work, teleworking and leasing services are just some forms of the rigid policies adopted by Neo-liberals in the labor sector.
Large social service enterprises such as Social Security and Public Education, Health Care, Food & Beverage are being privatized.The voluntary raising of the retirement age for such workers continues.Despite advances in technology and science in a race to quick profit, human sacrifice is ongoing.
The upbeat and optimistic element in the dismal picture of today’s labour world is that workers do not passively accept Neo-liberal capitalism and anti-labour aggression.With militant mobilizations, workers are demanding jobs with the right to ensure satisfaction of their modern needs.The class oriented trade unions which are affiliated with the World Trade Union federation are conducting mass struggle in France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Cyprus, Turkey, Spain, Argentina, Brazil, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia and many other big countries.To another employers and governments are seeking to manipulate labor standards.
It is no coincidence that the International Trade Union Federation -ITUC and European Trade Union Center in Europe, have worked for the interests of capitalists from a class coordinating edge.The World Federation of Trade Unions- WFTU within the global trade union movement has acted to limit the presence and influence of WFTU by fear mongering.The critical goal for working people under the uneven conditions created by Neo-liberal capitalism and imperialism globally is ensuring the presence and expansion of progressive and socialist trade unions in all regions of the world.
The new situation which has developed in the world is becoming favourable for working people.Therefore, peace struggle for workers” rights means first of all intensifying struggle to dismantle NATO and all military alliances.At the same time there must be forward movement for working people to defend their right to choose the path of their economic and social development without intervention, sanctions, blockades and economic warfare
So now there is a deep structural crisis of Neo-liberal capitalism, growing inequality, labour exploitation and economic instability.Imperialism has made the working people of the world pay heavy prices for poverty, unemployment, displacement and loss of rights by increasing warfare, intervention and militarization.The Israeli aggression and genocide in Palestine have exposed the inhuman character of imperialist powers.The World Federation of Trade Unions- WFTU stands in solidarity with the peoples of Palestine, Cuba and Venezuela.There are acute attacks on temporary employment, outsourcing, labor privatization and rights due to Neo-liberal policies,Workers secure jobs worldwide.
Premal Kumar Khanal is the President of the Joint Trade Unions Co-ordinations Center ( JTUCC) Nepal and Presidential Council Member of the World Federation of Trade Unions- WFTU
