The International Trade Union Confederation is a global advocacy organization for labor unions founded in 2006. ITUC is a confederation of unions that represent 176 million workers in more than 162 countries and territories around the world. The union group regularly works closely with the United Nations and other international organizations including the UN-affiliated International Labour Organization.

Background

The International Trade Union Confederation is an international advocacy group for labor unions. The confederation of unions, founded in 2006, represents 176 million workers in more than 162 countries and territories around the world. ¹

The organization works with intergovernmental institutions, such as the United Nations and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, to advance labor union interests. ²

The regional organizations for the ITUC are the American Regional Organization, or ITUCA; the Asia-Pacific Regional Organization, or ITUC-AP; and the African Regional Organization, or ITUC-AF. ³

Leadership

The organization elects new leadership every four years at its “World Congress” gathering, held at a different venue in a different country each time. It has a General Council and an Executive Bureau. ⁴

During its December 2018 gathering in Copenhagen, members elected a general secretary, a president, three deputy general secretaries and two deputy presidents.

Sharan Burrow is the general secretary of the ITUC, and was the first woman to hold the organization’s top position. Burrow had previously served as the ITUC president, the second-highest role, since the organization’s founding in 2006. Burrow had a long career in organized labor in Australia, capped off by being the president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions before moving to the ITUC. ⁵

The ITUC president is Ayuba Wabba, who is concurrently the national president of the Nigeria Labor Congress. He was also previously the national president of the Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria and the national treasurer of the Nigeria Labor Congress. ⁶

Cathy Feingold is the deputy president of the ITUC. She is also the director of the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations’ International Department. Feingold formerly was the director of the AFL-CIO Solidarity Center’s work in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. ⁷

Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson of Sweeden is also an ITUC deputy president. He is a former chairman of the Social Democratic Youth League. ⁸

Owen Tudor of Britain is a deputy general secretary for ITUC. Tudor previously was a member of the editorial board of the Labor Party’s journal, the New Socialist. He was previously the head of the European Union and International Relations Department for the UK Trade Union Confederation. ⁹

Mamadou Diallo is a deputy general secretary. He is a former social affairs advisor at the Senagal Ministry of Health and Social Action and coordinator for the UNICEF/Senegalese government joint program called “Children in Need.” He was the leader of the country’s teacher’s union in 1995. ¹⁰

Víctor Baez Mosqueira, of Paraguay, is another deputy general secretary. He has been in the union movement since the 1970s. He was the general secretary of the Inter-Union Movement in Paraguay from 1985 to 1989. He was later the president of the Unitary Workers’ Center, or CUT, of Paraguay from 1989 to 1993. He was also elected to the Paraguay Constitutional Assembly in 1991. He helped found the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas was elected TUCA general secretary in 2008, 2012, and 2016. ¹¹

Advocacy

The International Trade Union Confederation advocates for immigrants, noting 200 million people are working outside the country of their birth or citizenship, asserting that “migration is first and foremost a labor issue.” ¹² Burrow said she focuses on ensuring labor unions do not divide over issues of immigration and technology. ¹³

The union confederation has advocated for sweeping changes to the economy to combat global climate change, calling for a U.N. agreement to create a “just transition” to decrease carbon emissions. ¹⁴ Burrow warned union members not to put the interest of fossil fuel jobs before the climate, asserting “There are no jobs on a dead planet.” ¹⁵

During the Global Climate Strike in September 2019, Burrow announced the confederation supported the students that organized the environmentalist protest, stating the “solidarity of the trade union movement globally is behind you.” ¹⁶

1. Patty, Anna. “Sheran Burrow Wins Another Term at Top of Union.” Sydney Morning Herald. December 7, 2018. Accessed October 13, 2019. https://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace/sharan-burrow-wins-another-term-at-top-of-union-20181206-p50knl.html
2. About Us. Accessed October 13, 2019. https://www.ituc-csi.org/about-us
3. About Us. Accessed October 13, 2019. https://www.ituc-csi.org/about-us
4. About Us. Accessed October 13, 2019. https://www.ituc-csi.org/about-us
5. Sheran Burrow. ITUC. Accessed October 13, 2019. https://www.ituc-csi.org/sharan-burrow-6329
6. Ayuba Wabba. ITUC. Accessed October 13, 2019. https://www.ituc-csi.org/ayuba-wabba
7. Cathy Feingold. ITUC. Accessed October 13, 2019. https://www.ituc-csi.org/cathy-feingold
8. Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson. ITUC. Accessed October 13, 2019. https://www.ituc-csi.org/karl-petter-thorwaldsson
9. Owen Tudor. Accessed October 13, 2019. https://www.ituc-csi.org/owen-tudor-6338
10. Mamdou Diallo. Accessed October 13, 2019. https://www.ituc-csi.org/mamadou-diallo-19562
11. Vitor Baez. ITUC. Accessed October 13, 2019. https://www.ituc-csi.org/victor-baez
12. Migration. Accessed October 13, 2019. https://www.ituc-csi.org/migration
13. Staff. “The Women Who Shape Brussels.” Politico. Accessed October 13, 2019. https://www.politico.eu/list/the-women-who-shape-brussels/sharan-burrow/
14. Climate Change. Accessed October 13, 2019. https://www.ituc-csi.org/climate-change
15. McCauley, Dana. “‘No Jobs on a Dead Planet,’ Warns World’s Top Union Leader.” Sydney Morning Herald. June 18, 2019. Accessed October 13, 2019. https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/no-jobs-on-a-dead-planet-warns-world-s-top-union-leader-20190617-p51yia.html
16. Taylor, Matthew. “Trade Unions Around the World Support Global Climate Strike.” The Guardian. September 19, 2019. Accessed https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/19/trade-unions-around-the-world-support-global-climate-strike