The congress, which brought together representatives from 36 federations and over 1,040 primary trade unions, reflected a deeply engaged public sector workforce — from educators and healthcare workers to municipal and regional employees — mobilised by rising cost of living pressures, attacks on labour rights, and growing frustration with entrenched bureaucratic unionism.
A Historic win against the status quo
For the first time in ADEDY’s century‑long history, the Congress results saw DAS, backed by PAME, winning the highest number of delegates — a dramatic overturning of the long‑standing dominance of the pro‑government union faction DAKE and a decline in influence for centrist currents such as PASKE. The DAS slate increased both its vote share and number of seats, signalling a decisive shift toward class‑oriented, combative unionism rooted in the interests of all workers, not the agendas of established political elites.
This victory is not merely numerical; it represents a profound political shift within the union movement. Delegates and rank‑and‑file members alike expressed their rejection of unions that have historically accommodated bourgeois governments and corporate interests. This result invigorates the potential for ADEDY to become once again a genuine organising centre for struggle, capable of coordinating militant action across the public sector and forging links with broader movements of workers, peasants, students, and the self‑employed.
The outcome of the 39th ADEDY Congress resonates far beyond the union’s internal elections. It reflects the renewed confidence of working people in fighting for fundamental rights: decent wages, the restoration of lost benefits, secure employment, and protection of social services. It also illustrates a rejection of political forces that have aligned themselves with capitalist governance at the expense of workers’ lives and livelihoods.
A Historic win against the status quo
For the first time in ADEDY’s century‑long history, the Congress results saw DAS, backed by PAME, winning the highest number of delegates — a dramatic overturning of the long‑standing dominance of the pro‑government union faction DAKE and a decline in influence for centrist currents such as PASKE. The DAS slate increased both its vote share and number of seats, signalling a decisive shift toward class‑oriented, combative unionism rooted in the interests of all workers, not the agendas of established political elites.
This victory is not merely numerical; it represents a profound political shift within the union movement. Delegates and rank‑and‑file members alike expressed their rejection of unions that have historically accommodated bourgeois governments and corporate interests. This result invigorates the potential for ADEDY to become once again a genuine organising centre for struggle, capable of coordinating militant action across the public sector and forging links with broader movements of workers, peasants, students, and the self‑employed.
The outcome of the 39th ADEDY Congress resonates far beyond the union’s internal elections. It reflects the renewed confidence of working people in fighting for fundamental rights: decent wages, the restoration of lost benefits, secure employment, and protection of social services. It also illustrates a rejection of political forces that have aligned themselves with capitalist governance at the expense of workers’ lives and livelihoods.
