Over two million new members

The next IMF Central Committee meeting will make a very important decision which will finally open up a new era for the entire trade union movement. Russian, Belarussian, Ukrainian and Moldavian metalworkers' unions will join the IMF, with over two million members, representing both traditional and new metal industries. After years of absence for political reasons, they will be welcomed to the International. This is great for the IMF as well. All IMF affiliates will benefit from this major event. The IMF will be truly global, which means we will have the opportunity to set up a global network of information and communication to include all countries of the world, with the exception of a few (i.e. China and Vietnam). The newcomers will enrich our accumulated experiences. We will also get the opportunity to share our experience with them in building up new structures. The trade union movement of Eastern Europe is not used to the market economy, with all the problems it entails in terms of restructuring, layoffs, etc., nor are they accustomed to free collective bargaining, freedom of association and lack of interference from government, employers or other parties. But this will also entail a different structure within the IMF. We know that the new unions will not be able to pay the full membership fee to the IMF, and they will need some financial assistance as well, not only for activities and solidarity action but also for organisational purposes. This will cost money for the entire IMF. We will have to finance these new activities exclusively with affiliation fees from the other affiliates. To communicate with them, we will also need to translate a certain number of documents and meetings into Russian, which is the most common language for the whole region. Together with the work we have been accomplishing in the other Central and Eastern European countries, and with all the remaining work which we will need to do in the Balkans after the war is over, the IMF has taken a major step in bringing Western, Central and Eastern Europe closer to a total integration. The social, political and economic integration of Europe is the only guarantee for peace and progress for the whole continent. This is a great challenge for the entire IMF. Welcome to the newcomers!