A
global union federation is an international
federation-Use in political science:*Federation, a state governed under the system of federalism**Federated school, a model of governance used by some educational institutions which is also analogous to a political federation...
of national and regional
trade unionA trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s organising in specific
industryIndustry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
sectors or
occupational groupsA profession is a vocation founded upon specialized educational training, the purpose of which is to supply disinterested counsel and service to others, for a direct and definite compensation, wholly apart from expectation of other business gain....
, previously known as
international trade secretariats [ITSs].
Most major unions are members of one or more global union federations, relevant to the sectors where they have their members. Normally, the individual union will also be affiliated to a
national trade union centerA national trade union center is a federation or confederation of trade unions in a single country. Nearly every country in the world has a national trade union center, and many have more than one. When there is more than one national center, it is often because of ideological differences—in some...
, which in turn can be affiliated to a world body such as the
International Trade Union ConfederationThe International Trade Union Confederation is the world's largest trade union federation. It was formed on November 1, 2006 out of the merger of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and the World Confederation of Labour...
, ITUC.
Together with the ITUC and the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the
OECDThe Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is an international economic organisation of 34 countries founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade...
, ten global union federations jointly own and manage the web site
Global UnionsGlobal Unions is a website, which is jointly owned and managed by the International Trade Union Confederation, ITUC, the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD and ten global union federations....
. The Global Union Federations supported the publication of a history of the movement -- Making a World of Difference: Global Unions at Work -- which was published to coincide with the launch of the ITUC in 2006. This can be downloaded from the Global Unions website.
Richard Croucher and Elizabeth Cotton's Global Unions, Global Business, Middlesex University Press (2009). explains how the GUFs really work, how they are funded, analyses their current situations and discusses their relations with companies.
List of global union federations
- Building and Wood Workers' International
The Building and Wood Workers' International is the global union federation of democratic and free trade unions in the building, building materials, wood, forestry and allied industries. Established in 2005 by a merger of the International Federation of Building and Wood Workers and the World...
(BWI)
- International Arts and Entertainment Alliance (IAEA)
- Education International
Education International is a global union federation of teachers' trade unions. Currently, it has 401 member organizations in 172 countries and territories, representing over 30 million education personnel from pre-school to university...
(EI)
- International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions
International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions is a global union federation of trade unions. As of November 2007, ICEM represented 467 industrial trade unions in 132 countries, claiming a membership of over 20 million workers.The organization represents workers...
(ICEM)
- International Federation of Journalists
International Federation of Journalists, IFJ, is a global union federation of journalists' trade unions—the largest in the world. The organization aims to protect and strengthen the rights and freedoms of journalists...
(IFJ)
- International Metalworkers' Federation
International Metalworkers' Federation is a global union federation of metalworkers' trade unions, founded in Zürich, Switzerland in August 1893...
(IMF)
- International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers' Federation
The International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers' Federation is a global union federation. , it has 217 member organizations in 110 countries, representing a combined membership of over 10 million workers....
(ITGLWF)
- International Transport Workers' Federation
The International Transport Workers' Federation is a global union federation of transport workers' trade unions, founded in 1896. In 2009 the ITF had 654 member organizations in 148 countries, representing a combined membership of 4.5 million workers....
(ITF)
- International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Association (IUF)
- Public Services International
Public Services International is a global union federation of public sector trade unions. It 620 affiliated unions, in 160 countries, representing 20 million workers...
(PSI)
- UNI global union (UNI)