International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
Website: http://www.ituc-csi.org
Category: Labour
Year of Foundation: 2006
Location of Foundation: Vienna, Austria
Location of Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium
Brief Description: The ITUC was formed from the member organizations of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) and the World Confederation of Labour (WCL), together with eight further national trade union organizations. '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.' (Source: www.ituc-csi.org; accessed 22 November 2009)
Founding Rationales:
The former general secretary of the ICFTU, Guy Ryder, stated at its foundation: 'The creation of the ITUC will solidify the trade union movement's capacity at the national and international levels. Stronger, we will exert more influence on companies, governments and the international financial and trade institutions. The founding of the ITUC is an integral part of the process of uniting the power of trade unionism.'
The former general secretary of the WCL, Willy Thys, stated at its foundation: 'There is no doubt that the ITUC will become an effective countervailing force in a society that has changed enormously, with workers' rights being flouted under the pressure created by the current trajectory of "race to the bottom" globalization.'
Source: http://congress2006.icftu.org; accessed 22 November 2009
Evolution of Membership:
Source: www.ituc-csi.org; accessed 22 November 2009