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On this new commemoration of the International Workers' Day, UNI Americas wishes to bring the Union's greetings to all fellow brothers and sisters throughout the region. We welcome the determination and commitment of the men and women who, day in, day out, fight inequality and defend their right to a decent life.

Today, workers in every corner of our Continent will continue honouring the memory of those who gave their lives to secure decent working conditions. They will do so by going out into the streets; by defending their right to unionize; by battling for their right to engage in collective bargaining; by fighting against all forms of discrimination; by gaining the strength required to organize a union; by defending the dignity of their fellow brothers and sisters. This May 1st, these every day heroes and heroines will make yet another contribution to people's struggle for emancipation.

Our region is going through a turbulent period, where democracy and social accomplishments are increasingly under siege. The attempted coup d’état in Brazil was prefaced by soft coups carried out in Honduras and Paraguay. A common denominator to all of them has been a Judiciary working together with monopolistic media under the control of a handful of families to pursue the interests of the most powerful, thus facilitating access to power by those who failed to do so by the popular vote. Once again, we wish to voice our opposition to the attempted coup d’état in Brazil orchestrated against Dilma Rousseff, who was elected by 54 million votes and now faces a dirty, misogynist campaign.  

Moreover, we reiterate our support to the Peace process in Colombia, and we join in unions' demands for such process to include the right to free unionization and collective bargaining, as well as to the formalization of employment, coupled with a pledge on ensuring redress for union movement victims. Additionally, we wish to voice our deepest concern for the actions of paramilitary groups, which may seriously jeopardize the continuity of the Peace process, and to demand that Government guarantee the protection of social, union and political sectors that may be under threat.  

May we also convey our utmost solidarity to the people of Ecuador, battered by the fury of an earthquake that left behind countless victims, and bring a message of encouragement to the peoples in the Argentine Mesopotamia, currently suffering one of the worst floods in history, as well as to the men and women of Dolores, Uruguay, who are now rebuilding their city after a devastating tornado.

On this date, we wish to invite you all, fellow brothers and sisters, to continue furthering this formidable daily tasks of building a society that fights greed and selfishness, a society where solidarity prevails; of consolidating our struggle for unity and collective power, and of fighting against individualism and this "every man for himself" culture. 

In solidarity.