Former Peo union chief Pambis Kyritsis was elected on Sunday as the new general-secretary of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) at the 18th WFTU conference in Rome.

In an announcement, the Akel-affiliated union Peo said Pampis Kyritsis, who has been one of the vice-presidents of the WFTU since 2000, has contributed significantly to the Global Trade Union Movement.

His election, according to the union, is an important honour for Cyprus and reflects the appreciation and prestige that Peo has, despite the small size of Cyprus, within the WFTU, of which it is a founding member.

“I am aware of the responsibility I take on. WFTU carries a long and glorious history of struggle and in the current conditions it has a very important role to play in coordinating and guiding the class-oriented labor movement throughout the world,” Kyritsis said in his first speech to the after his election, which was published on the WFTU website.

The conference was attended by 426 delegates from 100 countries, who represent hundreds of WFTU Trade Unions on all continents.