English

Español

Français

Aerospace

Automotive

Base metals

Chemical, pharmaceutical and bio-science

Energy

Glass, cement, ceramic and associated industries

ICT, electrical and electronics

Mechanical Engineering

Mining and DGOJP

Pulp and paper

Rubber

Shipbuilding and shipbreaking

Textile, garment, shoes, leather and textile services

Sectors

Action Plan 2025-2029

Action on textile and garment industry

Clean up shipbreaking

Ratify ILO C176

United for a just future - time to pay up!

Disinvest from Myanmar

Campaigns

Global Framework Agreements

Union building

White-collar workers

Health & safety

Industry 4.0

Women

Youth

LGBTQI+

Gender, equality, diversity and inclusion (GEDI)

Just Transition

Organizing with industriALL

What we do

Affiliates

Statutes

Elected Officials

Executive Committee

Geneva head office

South East Asia

Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus

Latin America and the Caribbean

Middle East and North Africa

South Asia

Sub-Saharan Africa

Regional offices

About us

Global worker No1 2022

Global worker No2 2022

Publications

Resources

Press

<p>INDIA: Indian autoworkers at Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) and members of the Hyundai Motor India Employees&#039; Union (HMIEU) ended their work stoppage and hunger strike after management agreed to a number of worker demands, mediated by the Tamil Nadu District Commissioner of Labor.</p><p>More than 1300 workers went <a href="../main/index.cfm?n=47&amp;l=2&amp;c=19299">on indefinite strike April 20</a> with demands on wages, working conditions and a halt to  labour rights abuses, including the company&#039;s refusal to recognize HMIEU and collectively bargain. The company has a pattern of victimizing union leaders and supporters and has attempted to sidestep the union through a company-appointed Works Committee. </p><p>The struggle intensified on May 6 when 900 strikers were arrested. Affiliates of the International Metalworkers&#039; Federation have protested Hyundai Motor India&#039;s awful treatment of its workers, prompting letters of outrage as well as meetings and demonstrations at Hyundai&#039;s headquarters in Korea.</p><p>Among the gains the strike achieved, Hyundai Motor India agreed to:</p><ul><li>allow workers arrested during participation in the strike to return to work,</li><li>not enter a settlement with the Works Committee before May 20,</li><li>reply to each point of the Charter of Demands put forward by the HMIEU, and</li><li>not victimize workers who participated in the strike, including withdrawing disciplinary suspension of 20 workers who had been involved in organizing the strike. </li></ul><p>HMIEU and the company will enter into bargaining under the auspices of the District Commissioner of Labor as soon as the May 13 elections are over.  </p><p>Still unresolved is the issue of reinstatement for 72 workers who have faced unfair dismissals, suspensions and involuntary transfers because of their union activities. They were not directly associated with the recent strike.</p><p>A large number of those supporting the strike were precarious workers who make up the majority of the workforce at the Hyundai operations in Chennai. Their fate has yet to be decided. Equal treatment of all workers and the rehiring of precarious workers dismissed prior to the strike are among key issues in the HMIEU&#039;s Charter of Demands.</p><p>Following news of the strike&#039;s successes, major media ran articles with a claim by Hyundai Motor India that some production from Chennai would shift to Europe due to the industrial action. According to the Korean Metal Workers&#039; Union, no such investment decision has been made.</p><p>For more information about the strike, <a href="../main/index.cfm?n=47&amp;l=2&amp;c=19299">click here</a>.</p>

Management will respond to the union's Charter of Demands, jailed strikers are released and will return to work and disciplinary suspension of 20 strike organizers is withdrawn.

Indian autoworkers strike Hyundai

Union gains as Hyundai India strike ends

<p><img src="" alt="" title="Jyrki Raina" width="120" height="134" align="right" /></p><p>Jyrki Raina valdes till generalsekreterare för Internationella Metallfederationen under IMFs 32:a kongress, i maj 2009.</p><p>Innan dess arbetade han i Sverige som generalsekreterare för Industrianställda i Norden (IN), en funktion som han innehaft sedan år 2006.</p><p>Jyrki Raina är född i Helsingfors år 1960. Hans första arbete med fackföreningar var som jurist och förhandlare för Kemifacket i Finland år 1985.</p><p>Sex år senare flyttade han till Bryssel för att arbeta som forskare för ICEF (Internationella kemi-, energi- och fabriksarbetarfederationen), innan han fick ansvaret för facklig policyutveckling och nätverksarbete i energisektorn. År 2000 blev han organiseringschef på ICEM (Internationella kemi-, energi-, gruv- och fabriksarbetarefederationen), och hjälpte ICEMs generalsekreterare med strategisk planering.</p><p>Mellan år 2001 och 2003 arbetade Jyrki för finländska industriförbund som konsult i Helsingfors.</p><p>År 2003 flyttade han till Stockholm igen, och började som generalsekreterare för Nordiska Metall. Han var också suppleant i IMFs exekutivkommitté och i EMFs styrkommitté.</p>

Jyrki Raina, IMFs generalsekreterare

<p><img src="" alt="" title="Jyrki Raina" width="120" height="134" align="right" /></p><p>Jyrki Raina wurde anlässlich des 32. IMB-Weltkongresses im Mai 2009 zum Generalsekretär des Internationalen Metallgewerkschaftsbundes gewählt.</p><p>Seit 2006 war er Generalsekretär der Nordic IN in Schweden.</p><p>Jyrki Raina wurde 1960 in Helsinki geboren. Er begann seine gewerkschaftliche Karriere 1985 als Jurist und als Tarifverhandlungsbeauftragter für die finnische Chemiearbeitergewerkschaft.</p><p>Sechs Jahre später zog er nach Brüssel, wo er für die ICEF (Internationale Föderation von Chemie-, Energie- und Fabrikarbeiter-Verbänden) in der Forschung arbeitete und später die Grundsatzpolitik und Vernetzungsarbeit in der Energiebranche übernahm. 2000 wurde er zum Organisierungsleiter der ICEM (Internationale Föderation der Chemie-, Energie-, Bergbau- und Fabrikarbeitergewerkschaften) ernannt und unterstützte den Generalsekretär in der strategischen Planung. </p><p>Von 2001 bis 2003 diente Jyrki als Berater für finnische Industriegewerkschaften in Helsinki. </p><p>2003 zog er zurück nach Stockholm, wo er zum Generalsekretär von Nordic Metal sowie zum Ersatzmitglied des IMB-Exekutivausschusses und des EMB-Lenkungsausschusses ernannt wurde.</p>

Jyrki Raina, Generalsekretär des IMB

<p>In 1957, the IMF opened an office in Tokyo for the Japanese metalworkers' unions. </p><p>In 1960 the IMF opened its Latin America office, now in Montevideo, Uruguay.</p><p>In 1966, the first meeting of the World Company Councils for the automobile industry was held in Detroit, USA. Today, Company Council meetings are held as the need arises. </p><p>In 1969, the first IMF regional office opened in New Delhi, India. </p><p>In 1982, two white South African affiliates were expelled. The IMF was fully committed to supporting the new independent trade unions in South Africa. This support was strengthened with the opening of a new IMF office in Johannesburg in 1984. </p><p>In 1991, the IMF Central Committee decided to admit trade unions from Central and Eastern Europe as affiliates. </p><p>In 1993, a 100-point Action Programme was adopted at the IMF Centenary Congress in Zurich, Switzerland. </p><p>In 1998 the IMF opened a regional office for Southeast Asia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia</p><p>In 2001, the 30th IMF Congress was held in Sydney, Australia. A new Action Programme for 2002-2005 was adopted. </p><p>In 2002, the IMF signed its first International Framework Agreement in the auto industry with Volkswagen. </p><p>In 2005, the IMF Congress adopted changes to the IMF Rules, increasing the participation of women in IMF structures, and updating the Action Programme. </p><p>In 2002-2003, the IMF and its affiliates successfully campaigned for the release of imprisoned Korean trade unionists.</p><p>In 2006, the IMF launched an international solidarity campaign in support of the Mexican miners' union.</p>

Milestones in IMF history

<p>The International Metalworkers&#039; Federation is one of the largest and oldest Global Union Federations. </p><p>The IMF was created in August 1893 when thirty members from metalworkers unions in eight countries met in a small hotel in Zurich with the aim of creating an International Bureau, thus founding the IMF. These early members laid the foundations for international cooperation between all metalworkers&#039; unions of the world.</p><h3>Organising workers</h3><p>Data collected by the Bureau at the time showed that social and economic conditions for metalworkers were extremely difficult. Working hours in Europe ranged from 11.5 to 15 hours a day and wages were very low. Only a small number of metalworkers were organised and the structure of unions at the national level was highly fragmented.</p><p>From the beginning, solidarity between unions extended further than simply exchanging information and was focused on offering mutual support:</p><ul><li>Within the first three years, British metalworkers contributed 1,000 marks to the Solingen cutlery-makers out on a protracted strike.  </li><li>Swiss metalworkers contributed 100 Swiss francs to moulders engaged in a harsh struggle in Nuremberg. </li><li>German metalworkers later reciprocated in 1897 when British engineering workers were fighting for the eight-hour day and foundry workers in Denmark demanding higher wages were locked out. </li><li>Everywhere, especially in Germany, funds were raised, establishing a tradition of international solidarity that has significantly strengthened metalworkers&#039; unions to this day.</li></ul><h3>Eight hours work, leisure and sleep</h3><p>The early 1900&#039;s were characterised by rapid economic growth in international trade and investments. Metalworkers understood the important strategic role that the IMF could play in protecting human and trade union rights. In 1893 the first Congress wrote:</p><blockquote>&quot;Our endeavour must be to fulfil the slogan of the May Day celebrations: eight hours&#039; work, eight hours&#039; leisure, eight hours&#039; sleep.&quot;</blockquote><br /><p>In 1904, the different unions, which now included representatives from 11 countries, decided to create the International Metalworkers&#039; Federation (IMF). </p><h3>The goals of the Federation have always been to:</h3><ul><li>encourage metalworkers&#039; organisations to co-operate on trade union matters; </li><li>support unionisation efforts in countries where trade unions are weak; and </li><li>establish guidelines for effectively implementing solidarity actions during labour disputes.</li></ul>

A tradition of solidarity

<p>The International Metalworkers' Federation boasts more than 200 affiliated unions in 100 countries and represents the interests of 25 million metalworkers worldwide.</p><h3>Congress</h3><p>Our key decision-making body is <strong>Congress,</strong> which meets once every four years and agrees to an <u><a href="index.cfm?n=673"><strong>action programme</strong></a></u> which sets out the long-term aims and goals of our work. All affiliates have the right to send delegates to Congress.</p><p>Congress also determines the <strong><a href="../index.cfm?c=20018&amp;ol=2">Rules</a></strong> of the organisation, indicating how the IMF is run.</p><h3>Committees</h3><p>The <strong>Central Committee</strong> meets once every two years and is responsible for all decisions made between Congresses.</p><p>The Congress elects the <strong>President</strong> and the <strong>General Secretary</strong> of the IMF and the <strong>Executive Committee</strong>. The Executive Committee consists of 25 members, including at least six women, and meets twice a year. All regions in the world are represented in the ExComm.</p><p>The <strong>Finance Committee</strong> consists of six members from the Executive Committee, plus the IMF President, Vice President and General Secretary. This Committee makes recommendations about financial planning and examines the IMF annual budget.</p><p>The<strong> Secretariat</strong> carries out the decisions made by Congress and the Central Committee. It is managed by the General Secretary. </p><p>The <a href="index.cfm?n=630">IMF headquarters</a> is located in Geneva, Switzerland, where the activities of the organisation are coordinated through a network of <a href="index.cfm?n=631">regional offices</a>.</p><p>IMF activities are primarily financed by affiliation fees from its member organisations. </p>

Governing bodies

<p>At our 2005 Congress, we adopted an Action Programme setting out four main areas for action, which include:</p><ul><li>global structures to meet global challenges</li><li>strategies to engage transnational companies</li><li>solidarity and organising</li><li>a social dimension to economic globalisation</li></ul><p><em>In our commitment to creating <strong>global structures to meet global challenges</strong>, the IMF will: </em></p><ul><li>continue to build a global union able to co-ordinate and implement actions at all levels, wherever and whenever they are required;</li><li>continue to work with other Global Union Federations and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD to pursue the interests of its affiliates;</li><li>encourage cooperation and build unity between unions; and</li><li>begin building information networks between affiliates and maintain and effective communications system.</li></ul><p><em>As we develop strategies to <strong>engage transnational companies</strong>, the IMF will:</em></p><ul><li><div>continue to focus on building and maintaining solidarity among trade unions and workers across the global production chains of metalworking companies and industries;</div></li><li>strengthen links between unions that represent workers across production chains in transnational corporations through the IMF World Company Councils and sector-based networks and action groups;</li><li>negotiate and implement international framework agreements with transnational corporations;</li><li>find and support other mechanisms that engage transnational corporations.</li></ul><p><em>As we <strong>strengthen solidarity</strong> and capacity to organise, the IMF will: </em></p><ul><li>defend and promote collective bargaining, assisting affiliates in bargaining on wages and working conditions, and on outsourcing, job security and other issues associated with corporate restructuring;</li><li>promote union building by co-ordinating and supporting projects as well as providing advice to its affiliates on issues such as organising strategies, unions structures and equal rights;</li><li>promote equal rights, including improving the representation of women in IMF structures;</li><li>protect and promote health and safety at work, including campaigning for a ban on asbestos;</li><li>take international solidarity actions in support of social achievements, workers&#039; rights, organising and collective bargaining; and</li><li>organise the unorganised, particularly of women, young workers and non-manual workers and in export processing zones and small- and medium-sized enterprises.</li></ul><p><em>To promote a <strong>social dimension to economic globalisation</strong>, the IMF will:</em></p><ul><li>cooperate with and be part of the social movement against globalisation that favours only the transnational corporations;</li><li>demand that all national governments implement internationally recognised Core Labour Standards, including the right to organise and bargain collectively, and that these rights are included in all trade agreements; and</li><li>fight for sustainable economic development and growth as described in the document Strategies for an alternative economic programme, based on the following four pillars: <ul><li>job creation and purchasing power</li><li>debt cancellation and development assistance</li><li>regulations capital movements</li><li>reform of the global institutions of governance</li></ul></li></ul>

Solidarity and organisation: the foundation of our work

<h3>AFRICA</h3><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="25%">South Africa</td><td width="35%">Christina Olivier</td><td width="38%">NUMSA</td></tr><tr><td>South Africa</td><td>Irvin Jim</td><td>NUMSA</td></tr><tr><td>Kenya</td><td>Maero Tindi </td><td>AUKM</td></tr><tr><td>Tunisia</td><td>Tahar Berberi</td><td>FGME-UGTT</td></tr></tbody></table><h3>ASIA AND THE PACIFIC</h3><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Indonesia</td><td width="35%">Darmawati Djunaedi Natakusumah</td><td width="38%">FSPMI</td></tr><tr><td>Japan</td><td>Koichiro Nishihara</td><td>IMF-JC</td></tr><tr><td>Australia</td><td>Paul Howes</td><td>AWU</td></tr><tr><td>India</td><td>G. Sanjeeva Reddy<br />(May 09 - May11)<br />Sanjay S. Vadhavkar<br />(Nov. 11 - May 13)</td><td>INMF<br /><br />SMEWFI<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><h3>LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN</h3><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Argentina</td><td width="35%">Luis García Ortiz <br />(may 09 - may 10)<br /><br />Hector Laplace<br />(nov 10 - nov 11)<br /><br />Francisco Gutierrez<br />(may 12 - may 13)</td><td width="38%">ASIMRA<br /><br /><br />AOMA<br /><br /><br />UOM</td></tr><tr><td>Colombia<br /><br /><br />Brazil</td><td><p align="left">Nohora Estela Tovar<br />(May 09 - May 11)<br /><br />Valter Sanches<br />(Nov 11 - May 13)</p></td><td>FETRAMECOL<br /><br /><br />CNM/CUT</td></tr><tr><td>Brazil</td><td>Monica de Oliveira Lourenço Velozo</td><td>CNTM</td></tr><tr><td>Mexico</td><td>Napoleón Gómez</td><td>SNTMMS</td></tr></tbody></table><h3>NORTH AMERICA</h3><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Canada</td><td width="35%">Carol Landry</td><td width="38%">USW</td></tr><tr><td>USA</td><td>Bob King</td><td>UAW</td></tr><tr><td>USA</td><td>Tom Buffenbarger</td><td>IAMAW</td></tr><tr><td>USA</td><td>Leo Gerard</td><td>USW</td></tr></tbody></table><h3>WESTERN EUROPE</h3><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td>Germany</td><td>Berthold Huber </td><td>IG Metall </td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Sweden</td><td width="35%">Stefan Löfven</td><td width="38%">IF Metall </td></tr><tr><td>United Kingdom</td><td>Len McCluskey</td><td>British Section</td></tr><tr><td>Italy</td><td>Giuseppe Farina</td><td>FLM</td></tr><tr><td>France</td><td>Blandine Landas</td><td>FGMM-CFDT</td></tr><tr><td>Spain</td><td>Javier Urbina </td><td>MCA-UGT</td></tr></tbody></table><h3>CENTRAL &amp; EASTERN EUROPE</h3><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Russia</td><td width="35%">Michael Tarassenko </td><td width="38%">MMWU</td></tr><tr><td>Czech Rep.</td><td>Josef Stredula </td><td>OS KOVO</td></tr><tr><td>Macedonia</td><td>Mare Anceva </td><td>SIER</td></tr></tbody></table>

IMF Executive Committee (2009-2013)

<p>Congress is the highest decision-making body of the IMF and all affiliates hold membership. Congress meets every four years to establish the priorities and actions of the IMF including the <a href="../index.cfm?c=20018&amp;ol=2">Rules</a> that we are governed by. Congress also elects the <a href="../index.cfm?n=732&amp;l=2">President</a> and <a href="index.cfm?n=676">General Secretary</a> and members of the <a href="index.cfm?n=677">Executive Committee</a></p><h3>IMF World Congress 2009</h3><p dir="ltr" align="left">The 32nd IMF Congress took place in May 2009 in Gothenburg, Sweden  and adopted a new Action Programme for 2009-2013 calling for secure jobs for a secure future in response to the global economic crisis. The Congress also elected a new President, Vice President and General Secretary of the IMF.</p><p><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="318"><tbody><tr><td><a href="../congress2009" title="32nd IMF World Congress 2009"><img src="" border="0" alt="Gothenburg, Sweden" width="317" height="61" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table></p><h3>IMF World Congress 2005</h3><p>Held in Vienna, the Congress discussed the various ways in which international solidarity can advance workers' rights. Congress adopted changes to the IMF Rules, increasing the participation of women in IMF structures and updated the IMF Action Programme for 2005 to 2009.</p><p><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="318"><tbody><tr><td><a href="../congress2005/index.cfm?l=2" title="Congress"><img src="" border="0" alt="" width="318" height="57" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table></p><h3>IMF World Congress 2001</h3><p>The 30th IMF Congress was held in Sydney, Australia, when a new Action Programme was adopted for 2002-2005.</p>

Congress

<p>The IMF has affiliates in 100 countries. Click on any country below to learn about affiliated organisations. </p>

IMF Affiliates

Archive

About IndustriALL

Follow us

Contact us