CLC's Hassan Yussuff to Head TUCA: Elected President of Hemispheric Labour Organization

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - April 20, 2012) - Hassan Yussuff of the Canadian Labour Congress, has been elected to a four-year term as president of the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA). Yussuff, who is the CLC's Secretary-Treasurer, was elected on April 20 at a TUCA convention occurring in Iguazu Falls, Brazil.

"I am pleased to be elected president, especially with the many problems facing our movement in this hemisphere," says Yussuff. "I hope that TUCA will continue to be an effective voice for workers and their families as we continue to fight for improvements in their lives throughout the Americas."

TUCA, represents more than 50 million workers belonging to 50 active trade union affiliates in 29 countries, including Canada, the U.S., Brazil and nations in Latin America. TUCA belongs, in turn, to the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), with headquarters in Brussels.

Yussuff says, "We live in a world where transnational corporations have a global reach and this poses special challenges for the labour movement. In this difficult context, we also have to work aggressively at a global level to promote union membership, to push for government policies that create employment, and to protect our labour and human rights."

TUCA has offices and permanent staff in Brazil and Costa Rica. Yussuff will perform his duties from the CLC's Ottawa office and will continue in his role as CLC Secretary-Treasurer.

The Canadian Labour Congress, the national voice of the labour movement, represents 3.3 million Canadian workers. The CLC brings together Canada's national and international unions along with the provincial and territorial federations of labour and 130 district labour councils. Website: www.canadianlabour.ca. Follow us on Twitter: @CanadianLabour