International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU)

Confédération internationale des syndicats libres (CISL)
Confederación Internacional de Organizaciones Sindicales Libres (CIOSL)
Internationaler Bund Freier Gewerkschaften (IBFG)

Founded

1949-12 London UK

History

Dec 1949, London (UK), at 1st Congress, when statutes were adopted by 70 trade union organizations covering 53 countries and with an aggregate membership of 50 million. Statutes most recently modified by 18th Congress, Dec 2004, Miyazaki (Japan). Ceased to exist 31 Oct 2006; merged with H-XA3490 - World Confederation of Labour (WCL) to form A-XM2085 - International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). Maintained close links with D-XD0688 - European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).

Aims

• Maintain and develop a powerful, united, pluralist, representative and democratic international trade organization, composed of free and democratic trade unions, independent of any external domination and capable of enhancing the dignity of labour by effectively defending and promoting the rights and interests of working people at the global, regional, sub-regional and national levels.
• Further establishment, development and reinforcement of free, democratic and independent trade union organizations in all countries and promote the highest ethical standards within the trade union movement worldwide.
• Promote trade union and other human rights and defend free and independent trade unions and their members from violations of the right to organize and bargain collectively and of other worker's rights.
• Provide solidarity and assistance to trade unions in need of such assistance.
• Extend trade union representation by actively supporting trade union organizing worldwide and extend full rights and protection to workers performing precarious, informal or unprotected work.
• Promote and strengthen the work of the ILO and ensure that all governments respect international labour standards in full.
• Promote full and freely chosen employment, prosperity and the best standard of living for all in every country and promote international cooperation between countries to these ends.
• Ensure that trade union principles and policies are taken into account in international decision-making, by governments, international organizations and other bodies.
• Ensure that all international organizations respect international labour standards and contribute to the realization of social and economic development and equitable distribution of wealth.
• Guarantee full integration of women into trade union organizations and actively promote gender parity in the activities of the Confederation and its decision-making bodies at all levels.
• End all adverse discrimination, combat racism and xenophobia and uphold respect for diversity in society, in employment and within the trade union movement.
• Promote, protect and uphold the rights of migrant workers.
• Support the right of young workers to decent work, education and training, their full participation at all decision-making levels and the integration of young workers' issues within the trade union movement.
• Strengthen solidarity amongst generations within the trade union movement and support the rights of retired workers to decent incomes.
• Eliminate forced labour and child labour.
• Combat social exclusion, including through promoting universal access to decent health care and to free, formal, compulsory basic education provided as quality public services and access to lifelong learning.
• Promote public awareness and understanding concerning international trade union principles, policies and campaigns and support the provision of information and education to trade unionists.
• Ensure the maximum effectiveness of international trade union action to hold employers accountable to their social responsibilities.
• Strive for global peace and security, in particular through multilateral processes of the United Nations and its specialized agencies, including supporting disarmament, the elimination of all weapons of mass destruction and implementation of effective measures to control and regulate international trade in arms.
• Develop and maintain cooperation with other organizations, both governmental and non-governmental, at the international level, in furtherance of the Confederation's policies and activities in advancing the interests of society as a whole.
• Attain good governance of globalization through the reform and democratization of multilateral institutions for a fairer, more human and more equitable world, based on solidarity.
• Develop and reinforce joint action with the Global Union Federations and the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD (TUAC), under the common identity of Global Unions, through arrangements made by agreement between the partner organizations in Global Unions (other organizations may be accepted as partners in Global Unions, subject to decision by the Executive Board and agreement between the existing Global Unions partners).

Events

Activities

Structure

Congress (every 4 years), comprises up to 20 delegates representing member organizations, numbers on a sliding scale depending on size of membership. Executive Board (meeting at least annually), consists of 53 members elected on a basis of regional representation, plus (ex officio) General Secretary (elected by Congress). Executive Board elects President, Vice-Presidents and a Steering Committee of 17, and appoints Deputy President. Officers: President; Deputy President; General Secretary; 2 Assistant General Secretaries. Membership is subject to acceptance by Executive Board. Meetings closed (except Congress). Headquarters at: G-XG1717 - International Trade Union House, Brussels (ITUH). Regional organizations (3): E-XE3238 - International Trade Union Confederation - African Regional Organization; E-XK0006 - ITUC - Asia Pacific (ITUC-AP); E-XE1096 - Confederación Sindical de Trabajadores y Trabajadoras de las Américas (CSA). Departments at Headquarters (5): Employment and International Labour Standards and Multinationals, Organizing and Recruitment; Equality and Youth; Human and Trade Union Rights; Campaigns and Communications; Finance and Administration. ICFTU Offices and Representatives (13): Amman (Jordan) Office; Geneva (Switzerland) Office; United Nations Office, New York NY (USA); Global Unions Washington Office, Washington DC (USA); Hong Kong Liaison Office, Kowloon (Hong Kong); Office for the NIS, Moscow (Russia); South-East European Coordinator, Sarajevo (Bosnia-Herzegovina); CEE Regional Coordinator, Vilnius (Lithuania); CEE Trade Union Rights and Equality Coordinator, Zagreb (Croatia); Permanent Representative to FAO, Rome (Italy); Permanent Representative to the IMO, London (UK); Representative to IAEA, Vienna (Austria); Permanent Representative to UNIDO, Vienna.

Languages

Staff

Finance

Consultative Status

Relations with Inter-Governmental Organizations

Relations with Non-Governmental Organizations

Publications

Members

Type I Classification

Type II Classification

Subjects ^*

UN Sustainable Development Goals ^**

UIA Org ID

XA1667

Last News

2006