Havana, February 20 (RHC)-- After a year of debates at local assemblies, the 20th Congress of the Confederation of Cuban Workers, the CTC, began its sessions on Thursday by focusing on the ongoing update of the Cuban social and economic model.

The agenda includes meetings between members of all 17 national unions with company executives and officials from different sectors, which provide a scenario to discuss the opinions that stemmed from workers' assemblies prior to this stage of the congress.

Those debate were participatory and democratic as they clearly identified the kind of unions our workers want to have, said Ulises Guilarte, president of the Congress' organizing committee. Guilarte said that the national forum will come up with a stronger workers' union that will promote the fight against corruption and illegalities.

A large restructuring process took place in 2013 in all Cuban unions as part of preparations for the congress, in which 17 percent of those elected leaders were young people, 30 percent university graduates and 45 percent with a high school diploma.

Guilarte told reporters that the 20th Congress will guarantee the unity of the Cuban working class and their Revolution as well as the construction of a prosperous and sustainable socialist system.