This document discusses international trade union organizations and issues. It describes the main Global Union Federations which organize unions by industry globally, including IndustriALL, UNI, ITF, IUF, BWI, EI, IFJ and PSI. It also discusses the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) which represents national trade union centers. Some key issues discussed are supporting organizing, campaigns for workers' rights, research, and promoting decent work. Climate change, precarious work, public services and rebuilding unions are mentioned as areas of focus. The challenges of neoliberalism, austerity and resurgent anti-union politics are noted.

1. international summer school starter kit

2. The “Global Unions”
• The Global Union Federations (GUFs)
• The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)

3. Global Union Federations
• Based on industry/sector
• Paid for by union subscriptions

4. The Global Union Federations
• Building & Woodworkers’
International (BWI)
• Education International
(EI)
• IndustriALL
2012 merger of:
ICEM (Chemicals, Energy,
Mining)
IMF (Metal/ Engineering)
ITGLWF (Textiles/Garments)
• International Federation
of Journalists (IFJ)
• International
Transportworkers’
Federation (ITF)
• International Union of
Foodworkers (IUF)
• Public Services
International (PSI)
• Union Network
International (UNI)

6. Or … the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco
and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF)
• Founded in 1920
• 336 trade unions in 120 countries
• Membership - 12 million workers
• Based in Geneva, Switzerland
IUF
Uniting Food, Farm and Hotel Workers World-Wide

7. • Based in London
• Organises seafarers,
dockworkers, civil
aviation, railways, road
transport, urban
transport, fisheries,
tourism…
• 681 unions representing
4,500,000 workers in 148
countries

8. Building & Wood
Workers
International (BWI)
• Based in Geneva
• Organises in building, building materials,
wood, and forestry industries
• 350 unions representing 12,000,000
members in 135 countries

9. What do the GUFs do?
• Support international organising –
particularly in TNCs
• Co-ordinate solidarity actions
• TU Development and Education
• UN and employer assoc representation
• Campaigning
• Research
• Information exchange

10. International Trade Union
Confederation (ITUC)
• Founded 2006 –
merger of ICFTU and
WCL
• Based in Brussels
• Represents national
‘trade union centres’ –
the global “TUC of
TUCs”

11. Where did ITUC come from?
International Confederation
of Free Trade Unions
Formed 1949
Social-democratic / democratic socialist
World
Confederation of
Labour
Formed 1920
Christian (Catholic) in origin

12. What is the ITUC for?
• Represents trade union interests at international
governmental bodies, particularly at the ILO
• Campaigns for workers’ rights
• Co-ordinates solidarity actions against trade union
repression
• Research and union development
• DECENT WORK

13. World Federation of Trade Unions
Communist Party
dominated
Formed 1945
Previously based in
Prague
… now Athens
Roots in 1922 Profintern

14. Resurgence of WFTU?

15. Global Unions: Regional Structures

16. CORE LABOUR STANDARDS
Freedom of Association
Right to Collective Bargaining
Elimination of forced labour
Effective abolition of child labour
Freedom from discrimination
… decent work

17. The political agenda for the international movement
Some agenda items for discussion

18. “New” Capitalism
Financialisation of
modern global
corporations

19. The problem with Europe…
The demise of ‘Social Europe’
European Trade Union Confederation &
European Industrial Committees –
EFFATT, ETF, EFBWW …
Unions & the European Commission
€…..

20. Climate Change, Energy and
the trade union movement

21. Anti-Capitalism

22. The future of public services

23. The rise of precarious work

24. and informal work….

25. Rebuilding
unions
from below

26. The International Organising Agenda
1970s
• World Company Councils
• International Shop Steward
Committees
1980s
• Networking on the Internet
• International collective
bargaining?
1990s
• International Framework
Agreements
2000s
• Global organising strategies
• Global Organising Alliance

27. Where are the politics?
Crisis in social-democracy
Onward march of Neo-Liberalism and
austerity
Resurgence of WFTU?
Do we have a democratic socialist alternative?

28. “We are not only losing collective
bargaining rights, we are now in a
labour war effectively across
Europe, the U.S., emerging
democracies. Why? Because the old
stakeholders who drove the
neo-liberal economic policies that
would seem to be foul policies, the
Washington consensus if you’d like,
are back in control. We thought the
global financial crisis showed them
this was a failed economic model.
We were wrong. We have now a
situation where we are largely
engaged in what I can only describe
as a labour war”.
Sharan Burrow
ITUC