A joint delegation from CGIL Rimini and CSdL San Marino took part in the international days of remembrance and peace held in Verdun, France, from 5 to 6 November. The initiative, organized at the invitation of CGT Grand-Est, brought together trade union representatives from several European countries to discuss workers’ conditions, the defense of social rights, and the role of unions in the face of international conflicts.
Representing the two organizations were Francesca Lilla Parco, general secretary of the Camera del Lavoro of Rimini, Cristina Palazzi, general secretary of FIOM, Enzo Merlini, general secretary of CSdL, and Stephane Colombari, confederal secretary. Also present were delegations from the Spanish union CCOO of Asturias and the German union DGB of Haus Darmstadt.
The visit began on 5 November with stops at two sites symbolic of the First World War: the Douaumont Ossuary and the underground Citadel of Verdun. The delegation then joined a trade union demonstration held in connection with a strike in the town of Bar-le-Duc.
That evening, the European organizations held discussions on the economic and social conditions of workers, the functioning of public services, and the growth of nationalist and extremist movements. According to CGIL and CSdL, the delegations debated “the material conditions of the workers they represent, the state of public services, and the worrying advance of nationalism and political extremism in Europe.”
The following day, 6 November, the World Center for Peace in Verdun hosted the conference “Peace and Trade Unionism,” organized by the CGT and CFDT. The meeting was also attended by Sophie Binet, national general secretary of the CGT, Marylise Léon, national general secretary of the CFDT, and Esther Lynch, general secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation.
During the proceedings, Francesca Lilla Parco and Cristina Palazzi drew attention to the need to strengthen the role of trade unions at a time marked by numerous international conflicts. The two Rimini representatives, the joint statement reads, “reaffirmed the central role of trade unions in this period of widespread wars.”
The San Marino representatives echoed similar sentiments. Enzo Merlini and Stephane Colombari emphasized that “the commitment to peace and the defense of social and universal rights represent the strongest response against social disintegration and ongoing conflicts,” highlighting the need for greater collaboration between workers and trade union organizations across different countries.
For CGIL Rimini and CSdL San Marino, participation in the French events also served as an opportunity to strengthen ties with other European trade unions. “The trip further consolidated cooperative relations and the network of international alliances between the trade union organizations of Rimini, San Marino, and European unions committed to social justice and peace,” the joint statement concludes.
