The Commonwealth Trade Union Group (abbreviated CTUG) is a London-based international alliance of trade union in the Commonwealth countries. It was previously known as the Commonwealth Trade Union Council (abbreviated CTUC). [1] As of 2007, the combined membership of CTUG affiliates reached 30 million. [2]
The decision to set up the CTUC was taken at the Commonwealth Trade Union Conference, held in June 1979. In November 1979 a number of trade unions of the Commonwealth agreed to a set of proposals issued by a special working party launched at the June 1979 conference. The official founding of CTUC took place in March 1980, with Canadian Labour Congress president Dennis McDermott as the CTUC chairman and Carl Wright as the director of the organization. [3] The stated goal of the CTUC was to guarantee that 'trade union views are taken into account by Commonwealth government and institutions'. [4] As of 1982 the CTUC Steering Committee included McDermott (Chairman), Gopeshwar(India), W. Richardson (Australia), F. F. Walcott (Barbados), Wright, N. K. Bhatt (India), J. Harker (Canada), L. Osunde (Nigeria), E. Mashasi (Tanzania), K. Mehta (India) and R. L. Thaker (India). [5] Shirley Carr also served as chair of CTUC. [6]
CTUC took part in founding the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative in 1987. [7] In 1988 Patrick Quinn became director of CTUC, in 1994 Arthur Johnstone was named new director of CTUC. He was succeeded by Annie Watson. [3]
CTUC was reconstructed as CTUG on 31 December 2004. The group works in cooperation with the International Trade Union Confederation. [1] [2] CTUG is accredited at the Commonwealth Foundation (through ITUC). [2]
The Commonwealth Trade Union Group leadership was reconstituted at their annual conference in Geneva in June 2023. They agreed that Owen Tudor (formerly Head of TUC International Department and then ITUC Deputy General Secretary) should act as CTUG Secretary [8]
The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) was an international trade union. It came into being on 7 December 1949 following a split within the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), and was dissolved on 31 October 2006 when it merged with the World Confederation of Labour (WCL) to form the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).
The World Confederation of Labour (WCL) was an international labour organization founded in 1920 and based in Europe. Fascist governments of the 1930s repressed the federation and imprisoned many of its leaders, limiting operations until the end of World War II. In 2006 it became part of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), ending its existence as an independent organization.
Sharan Leslie Burrow was the general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) (2010-2022) and a former president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) (2000–2010). She was the first woman to become General Secretary of the ITUC since its foundation in 2006, and was the second woman to become President of the ACTU.
The Bangladesh Jatiya Sramik League is a national trade union federation in Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh Labour Federation (BLF) is a national trade union federation in Bangladesh. It is internationally affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation.
The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia is the largest post-Soviet national trade union center in Russia, with a membership estimated between 28 and 31.5 million. The FNPR is widely recognized as the de facto successor to the Soviet era trade unions system, although the General Confederation of Trade Unions (GFTC), as the umbrella organization of trade unions in the former Soviet Republics, is technically the equivalent of the former. The FNPR is closely affiliated with ruling Russian party called United Russia and is notable for fraudulent activity with real estate property it had inherited after dissolution of the USSR.
The Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA) is the second largest national trade union center in South Africa.
The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) is the world's largest trade union federation.
Gongalla Sanjeeva Reddy a politician and artist from Indian National Congress party is an ex-Member of the Parliament of India who represented Andhra Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament.
The Bolshevik Party of India is an Indian political party in India. The party was founded in 1939. The party had a certain role in the trade union movement in West Bengal and was briefly represented in the state government in 1969. In later years the party has played a negligible role in Indian politics.
The ICFTU African Regional Organisation (AFRO) was a regional organisation of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), representing trade unions from countries in Africa.
Ramjee Kunwar is a Nepal Trade Union Congress-Independent (NTUCI) leader, Senior Vice President of NTUCI and executive member of Nepali Congress Party. He was also the former vice president and secretary of NTUCI and is currently acting president.
The Somali Confederation of Labour was a national trade union centre in Somalia. CSL was founded in 1949. CSL was closely linked to the ruling Somali Youth League, but retained organizational independence.
The Plantation Workers International Federation was an international trade secretariat of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions. PWIF was founded at the firth ICFTU world congress held in Tunis in July 1957. Samuel Powell Claret was appointed as the general secretary of PWIF and Tom Bavin as its Director of Organisation. PWIF was launched by ICFTU to organize plantation unions in the Third World.
Carl W. Wright is a Commonwealth civil servant, former director of the Commonwealth Trade Union Group (1980–1994) and Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (1994–2016). Author 'Global Citizen: Grass Roots Activism and High Diplomacy'
Luca Visentini is an Italian trade unionist. Elected general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) at the organisation's 5th World Congress in Melbourne, Australia, in mid-November 2022, he stood aside on 14 December 2022 following his arrest and conditional release in relation to the Qatar corruption scandal at the European Parliament. On 11 March 2023, the ITUC General Council voted to dismiss Visentini for accepting funds from Antonio Panzeri.
The International Graphical Federation (IGF) was a global union federation bringing together unions of printing workers around the world.
Jacobus Hendrik Oldenbroek was a Dutch trade union leader and politician, who served as general secretary of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions.