 | |
| Merged into | International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1890 |
| Dissolved | 1995 |
| Headquarters | Russell Square, London (1890–1984) Belgium (1985–1995) |
| Location |
|
Members | 4.2 million (1994) |
| Affiliations | ICFTU |
The Miners' International Federation (MIF), sometimes known as the International Federation of Miners, was a global union federation of trade unions.
Wirtz (1962) documented that the Miners International Federation (MIF) 'had its origin in a series of four international workers' congresses which met between 1883 and 1889 in Paris and London.' [1] The MIF was subsequently established in 1890 at a four-day event that was held in Jolimont, Belgium, which was attended by 111 representatives of miners' organizations from Austria, Belgium, France, Germany and the United Kingdom. The subsequent congresses which were held annually until 1900 were representative of the five countries that had sent delegates to the first congress. [2]
The MIF was initially one of the largest union federations, with membership reaching 1.2 million in 1913, and this grew slightly to 1.5 million in 1931. [3]
From the 1950s, the MIF began to campaign for common international minimum working conditions. However, with reductions in the number of miners in its heartland of Western Europe, its overall membership began to fall, and was below one million by 1976. [3]
The union was based in London for many years, with the British National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) as its largest affiliate. In 1983, Arthur Scargill, leader of the NUM, proposed dissolving the federation and forming a new one with the World Federation of Trade Unions-affiliated Trade Unions International of Miners. This was opposed by a majority of members, but the NUM nevertheless withdrew, leaving the federation to relocate its headquarters to Brussels and struggle with a shortage of funds. [4]
The MIF began recruiting unions in other parts of the world, and by 1994 consisted of 58 unions with 4.2 million members. In 1995, it merged with the International Federation of Chemical and General Workers' Unions to form the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions. [3]
In 1960, the following unions were affiliated to the federation: [5]
| Union | Country | Affiliated membership |
|---|---|---|
| All Japan Federation of Metal Miners' Unions | Japan | 57,000 |
| Associated Mineworkers of Southern Rhodesia | Southern Rhodesia | 1,000 |
| Confederation of Copper Workers | Chile | 24,000 |
| Cyprus Federation of Free Miners | Cyprus | 1,530 |
| Federation of Miners of Greece | Greece | 30,000 |
| Federation of Mine Workers | Tunisia | 6,125 |
| Free Italian Federation of Workers in Mining Industries | Italy | 12,656 |
| General Dutch Industrial Union of the Mining Industry | Netherlands | 3,000 |
| General Union of Spanish Workers | Spain | Unknown |
| Ghana Mine Workers' Union | Ghana | 40,000 |
| Indian National Mineworkers' Federation | India | 150,000 |
| Japan Coal Miners' Union | Japan | 200,441 |
| Korean Mine Workers' Federation | South Korea | 28,246 |
| Luxembourg Workers' Federation | Luxembourg | 2,000 |
| Manpower Citizens' Association | British Guiana | 2,000 |
| Miners' Federation | France | 21,000 |
| National Coal Mine Workers' Union | Japan | 75,000 |
| National Mines and Allied Workers' Union | Philippines | 3,000 |
| National Union of Mine and Quarry Workers | Italy | 14,610 |
| National Union of Mineworkers | United Kingdom | 675,000 |
| Nigerian Mineworkers' Federation | Nigeria | 10,000 |
| Northern Rhodesian African Mineworkers' Union | Northern Rhodesia | 36,000 |
| Northern Rhodesia Mine Workers' Union | Northern Rhodesia | 4,500 |
| Norwegian Union of General Workers | Norway | 6,000 |
| Suriname Mine Workers' Union | Suriname | 80 |
| Swedish Miners' Union | Sweden | 14,000 |
| Tanganyika Mine Workers' Union | Tanganyika | 1,000 |
| Union of Metal, Mining and Energy | Austria | 25,000 |
| Union of Mineworkers of Belgium | Belgium | 36,000 |
| United Mine Workers of America | United States | 600,000 |
| United Mineworkers of New Zealand | New Zealand | 3,320 |
| United Mineworkers of Sierra Leone | Sierra Leone | 5,500 |
| Union of Mining and Energy | West Germany | 461,674 |
| Union of Mining, Metallurgical and Chemical Workers | Yugoslavia | 95,000 |
The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) is an international federation of trade unions established in 1945. Founded in the immediate aftermath of World War Two, the organization built on the pre-war legacy of the International Federation of Trade Unions as a single structure for trade unions world-wide, following the World Trade Union Conference in London, United Kingdom.
The 1984–1985 United Kingdom miners' strike was a major industrial action within the British coal industry in an attempt to prevent closures of pits that the government deemed "uneconomic" in the coal industry, which had been nationalised in 1947. It was led by Arthur Scargill of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) against the National Coal Board (NCB), a government agency. Opposition to the strike was led by the Conservative government of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who wanted to reduce the power of the trade unions.
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is a trade union for coal miners in Great Britain, formed in 1945 from the Miners' Federation of Great Britain (MFGB). The NUM took part in three national miners' strikes, in 1972, 1974 and 1984–85. Following the 1984–85 strike, and the subsequent closure of most of Britain's coal mines, it became a much smaller union. It had around 170,000 members when Arthur Scargill became leader in 1981, a figure which had fallen in 2023 to an active membership of 82.
The International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF) was a global union federation of metalworkers' trade unions, founded in Zürich, Switzerland in August 1893. As of 2009, the IMF had more than 200 member organisations in 100 countries, representing a combined membership of 25 million workers.
The International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) was a global union federation of trade unions. As of November 2007, ICEM represented 467 industrial trade unions in 132 countries, claiming a membership of over 20 million workers.
The Miners' Federation of Great Britain (MFGB) was established after a meeting of local mining trade unions in Newport, Wales in 1888. The federation was formed to represent and co-ordinate the affairs of local and regional miners' unions in England, Scotland and Wales whose associations remained largely autonomous. At its peak, the federation represented nearly one million workers. It was reorganised into the National Union of Mineworkers in 1945.
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is a mainly mining industry related trade union, an organisation of workers with common goals through organised labour, in South Africa. With a membership of 300,000 as of 2014, it is the largest affiliate of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU).
The National Amalgamated Coal Workers' Union was a trade union in the United Kingdom which existed between 1889 and 1922. It represented coal porters and carmen.
The South Wales Miners' Federation (SWMF), nicknamed "The Fed", was a trade union for coal miners in South Wales. It survives as the South Wales Area of the National Union of Mineworkers.
The International Federation of Trade Unions was an international organization of trade unions, existing between 1919 and 1945. IFTU had its roots in the pre-war IFTU.
The Kent Miners' Association was a trade union in the United Kingdom which existed between 1915 and 1945, representing coal miners in the county of Kent. After 1945 it was reorganised as the Kent Area of the National Union of Mineworkers.
Arthur Scargill is a British trade unionist who was President of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) from 1982 to 2002. He is best known for leading the 1984–1985 UK miners' strike, a major event in the history of the British labour movement.
The Trade Unions International of Miners was a trade union international affiliated with the World Federation of Trade Unions.
The 1969 United Kingdom miners' strike was an unofficial strike that involved 140 of the 307 collieries owned by the National Coal Board, including all collieries in the Yorkshire area. The strike began on 13 October 1969 and lasted for roughly two weeks, with some pits returning to work before others. The NCB lost £15 million and 2.5 million tonnes of coal as a result of the strike.
The South African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU) was a national trade union federation in South Africa.
The History of trade unions in the United Kingdom covers British trade union organisation, activity, ideas, politics, and impact, from the early 19th century to the recent past. For current status see Trade unions in the United Kingdom.
The International Federation of Chemical, Energy and General Workers' Unions (ICEF) was a global union federation of trade unions.
The National Federation of Colliery Officials was a trade union representing colliery workers in the United Kingdom who were not involved in manual labour.
Achille Delattre was a Belgian politician and trade unionist.
The Union of Mineworkers of Belgium was a trade union representing coal miners in Belgium.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
