The International Trade Union Confederation

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) is the main international trade union organisation, representing the interests of working people worldwide. It has 301 affiliated member organisations in 151 countries and territories, with a total membership of 176 million workers. The ITUC was founded at its inaugural Congress in Vienna, Austria, on 1 -3 November 2006. It groups together the former affiliates of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) and the World Confederation of Labour (WCL), along with trade union organisations which had no global affiliation. The ICFTU and the WCL dissolved themselves on 31 October 2006, to pave the way for the creation of the ITUC.

The ITUC’s primary mission is the promotion and defence of workers’ rights and interests, through international cooperation between trade unions, global campaigning and advocacy within the major global institutions. The Programme Document adopted at the ITUC founding Congress sets out the Confederation’s overall policy framework. Its main areas of activity include:

trade union and human rights
economy, society and the workplace
equality and non-discrimination
international solidarity.

The ITUC adheres to the principles of trade union democracy and independence, as set out in its Constitution. It is governed by four-yearly world congresses, a General Council and an Executive Bureau. The chief executive of the ITUC is its General Secretary Sharan Burrow, supported by Deputy General Secretary Jaap Wienen.

The ITUC regional organizations are the Asia-Pacific Regional Organization (ITUC-AP), the African Regional Organization (ITUC-AF) and the American Regional Organization (TUCA)

The ITUC also cooperates closely with the European Trade Union Confederation, including through the Pan-European Regional Council, which was created on March 2007.

The ITUC has close relations with the Global Union Federations and the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD (TUAC), working together through the Global Unions Council.

The ITUC works closely with the International Labour Organisation. It maintains contacts with several other UN Specialised Agencies.

Source: http://www.ituc-csi.org/+-about-us-+.html