1 March, 2012Trade unions from around the world agree on plans to establish IndustriALL Global Union in June 2012, a new global union to represent workers in mining, energy and manufacturing sectors at the global level.
GLOBAL: Trade unions in mining, energy and manufacturing sectors around the world have agreed to unify their membership in a new global union to be known as IndustriALL.
Meeting at the International Labour Organization in Geneva on February 29, more than 200 trade union leaders from around the world spoke of the serious challenges working people face in the current political and economic climate. Having greater strength and building power across the supply chain at the global level is the motivating force for the creation of the new global union.
IndustriALL Global Union will represent workers in a wide range of sectors from extraction of oil and gas, mining, generation and distribution of electric power, to manufacturing of metals and metal products, shipbuilding, automotive, aerospace, mechanical engineering, electronics, chemicals, rubber, pulp and paper, building materials, textiles, garments, leather and footwear and environmental services.
The new organization will bring together affiliates of the International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF), the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) and the International Textiles Garment and Leather Workers' Federation (ITGLWF).
The joint executive committee meeting of the IMF, ICEM and ITGLWF discussed the draft Statutes and Action Plan for the new organization and agreed on the proposed new name IndustriALL and logo.
The joint meeting noted the proposed candidates for the political leadership of the new organization. The importance of including women in both the political leadership and representative structures of the new global union was argued for and included in the proposed Statutes.
A founding Congress of the new organization will take place in Copenhagen on June 18 to 20, 2012. The proposed name, Statutes and Action Plan will be decided on at the founding Congress.