Trade Unions International of Miners

The Trade Unions International of Miners was a trade union international affiliated with the World Federation of Trade Unions.

History

The union was founded at a Constituent Conference in Florence, Italy held July 16–19, 1949. ^[1] In 1983 it expanded its scope, with unions including the British National Union of Mineworkers joining, and became the Trade Unions International of Miners and Energy Workers. ^[2] In 1986 it became the Trade Unions International of Energy Workers before ceasing activities. ^[3] The TUI temporarily suspended activities after the collapse of communism in Europe, but re-emerged at a conference in Havana in 1998. It joined with the Trade Union International of Metal and Engineering Workers and the Trade Unions International of Chemical, Oil and Allied Workers to form the new Trade Unions International of Energy, Mining, Chemical, Oil and Allied Industries. This organization was reformed again in 2007 adopting the name Trade Union International of Energy Workers. The metal workers then formed a new Trade Union International of Workers in the Mining, the Metallurgy and the Metal Industries ^[4]

Organization

The union had a controlling congress, a directing committee, a bureau and permanent secretariat. ^[5] Special Commissions were also set up to deal with specific issues. In 1978 there commissions on the coal mining, other mining industries and health and safety. ^[6] In 1985 there were commissions on energy, transnational corporations, peace and disarmament, as well as health and safety. ^[7] In 1955 its headquarters were reported to be at Seilerstaette 3, Vienna 1, Austria. It shared the address with the Trade Unions International of Transport Workers, the World Federation of Teachers Unions and the Trade Unions International of Workers of the Metal and Mechanical Industries. ^[8] By 1957 it had relocated to 100 Janská Prague 1. It again shared its address with the Transport and Metal Workers TUI. ^[9] In 1978 its headquarters was reported at Kopernika 36/40 Warsaw, ^[10] an address it kept to at least 1991. ^[11]

Publications

The Union published Miners International News in English, French and Spanish from 1956 until at least the late 1970s. ^{[12] [13]} In 1972 it began a quarterly, The Messenger, directed only to members of the administrative committee. ^[14] The Union published a fortnightly called Miners of the World in French, Russian and Spanish. This became Bulletin (Trade Unions International of Miners and Workers in Energy) in 1984. ^{[15] [16]}

Leadership

General Secretaries

1950: Henri Turrel

1955: Victorin Duguet

1965: Lucien Labrune

1970: Attilio Francini

1980: Alain Simon

1985: Eugeniusz Mielnicki

1980s: Mieczyslaw Jurek

Presidents

1950: Stefan Ciołkowski

1959: Michal Specjal ^[17]

1972: Jan Les

1981: Jan Konieczny

1985: François Duteil

1994: François Duteil and Arthur Scargill

See also

• International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions

References

1. The World Federation of Trade Unions, 1945-1985. Prague; Published by the WTFU in cooperation with PRACE Czechoslovak Trade Unions 1989 p.194
2. Ronald Payne and Gary Busch, "Scargill goes international", The Spectator , 30 November 1985
3. Project for Articles of Association p.16
4. Project for Articles of Association p.16
5. Coldrick, A. Percy and Jones, Philip. The international directory of the trade union movement New York : Facts on File, [1978] p.204
6. Coldrick and Jones p.194
7. The World Federation of Trade Unions, 1945-1985 p.154
8. Directory of World Federation of Trade Unions Washington Office of International Labor Affairs, June 1955 pp.47-8
9. Facts about international Communist front organisations p.32
10. Coldrick and Jones p.195
11. Upham, Martin Trade unions of the world, 1992-1993. Harlow, Essex, U.K. : Longman ; Detroit, Mich. : Distributed exclusively in the U.S. and Canada by Gale Research Inc., 1991 p.558
12. Miners' International News.
13. Coldrick and Jones p.195
14. Coldrick and Jones p.195
15. The World Federation of Trade Unions, 1945-1985 p.155
16. Miners of the world
17. Proch, Franciszek; Ziffer, Bernard (Winter 1960). "POLAND IN 1959: CHRONICLE OF EVENTS July 1, 1959 — December 31, 1959". The Polish Review. 5 (1).