What it is What it Does

ICFTU: What it is, What it does...
	The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), was set up in 1949 and has 221 affiliated organisations in 148 countries and territories on all five continents, with a membership of 156 million. It has three major regional organisations, APRO for Asia and the Pacific, AFRO for Africa, and ORIT for the Americas. It also maintains close links with the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) (which includes all ICFTU European affiliates) and International Trade Secretariats, which link together national unions from a particular trade or industry at international level.
	MEMBERSHIP It is a Confederation of national trade union centres, each of which links together the trade unions of that particular country. Membership is open to bone fide trade union organisations, that are independent of outside influence, and have a democratic structure.
	FINANCES Its activities are financed by the fees paid by member organisations.
	INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS The ICFTU cooperates closely with the International Labour Organisation and has consultative status with the United Nations’ Economic and Social Council and with specialised agencies such as UNESCO, FAO, etc. It maintains contacts with the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the World Trade Organisation and has offices in Geneva, New York and Washington.
	ACTIVITIES The ICFTU organises and directs campaigns on issues such as: the respect and defence of trade union and workers' rights, the eradication of forced and child labour, the promotion of equal rights for working women, the environment, education programmes for trade unionists all over the world, encouraging the organisation of young workers, sends missions to investigate the trade union situation in many countries.
	PRIORITIES FOR ACTION At its 16th World Congress in Brussels in June 1996, the ICFTU laid down five priorities for action for the next four years: employment and international labour standards, tackling the multinationals, trade union rights, equality, women, race and migrants, trade union organisation and recruitment.
	PUBLICATIONS The ICFTU produces a number of publications each year on particular themes. Each June it publishes a Survey of Trade Union Rights, which gives details of more than 115 countries which violate basic trade union rights norms. 1996: World's Apart - Women and the global economy No Time to Play - Child labour and the global economy Behind the Wire - Anti-union repression in the export processing zones. The Challenge of Globalisation. Annual Trade Union Rights Survey. 1997: Annual Trade Union Rights Survey. Precious Lives - Children and Diamond Working. 1998: Fighting for Workers' Human Rights in the Global Economy Migrant workers. Annual Trade Union Rights Survey. 1999 Annual Trade Union Rights Survey Fighting for Dignity Fighting for Workers' Human Rights in the Global Economy (new edition) For further details, contact the ICFTU Press and Publications Dept (press@icftu.org).
	UNDERSTANDING THE ISSUES, TAKING ACTION. Every month, Trade Union World* places trade union news in its global context. It is a valuable source of information, and a reference tool. Trade Union World is the monthly journal of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU). For subscription, contact the ICFTU Press and Publications Dept (press@icftu.org). *Trade Union World is published in English, French (Le Monde syndical) and Spanish (El Mundo sindical).