The ICFTU Asia and Pacific Regional Organisation (APRO) was a regional organisation of the

International Confederation of Free Trade Unions 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 ...

(ICFTU), representing

trade unions A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and Employee ben ...

from countries in

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

and

Oceania Oceania (, , ) is a region, geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern Hemisphere, Eastern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of ...

History

The federation was founded in May 1951 at a meeting in

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...

, as the ''Asian Regional Organisation''. It was initially based in

Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...

, but moved to

New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...

in 1956, and then

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

in 1988. In 1984 it changed its name to the ''ICFTU-Asia Pacific Regional Organisation''. In 2007, following the merger of the ICFTU and the

World Confederation of Labour The World Confederation of Labour (WCL) was an international labour organization founded in 1920 and based in Europe. Totalitarian governments of the 1930s repressed the federation and imprisoned many of its leaders, limiting operations until the ...

(WCL), the organisation merged with the WCL's

Brotherhood of Asian Trade Unions The Brotherhood of Asian Trade Unions (BATU) was a federation bringing together trade unionists in Asia. History The federation was established on 20 December 1963, at a conference in Manila. It was a regional federation of the International Feder ...

, to form the

ITUC Regional Organisation for Asia and Pacific The ITUC Regional Organisation for Asia and Pacific (ITUC Asia Pacific) is a regional organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation representing trade unions from countries in Asia and Oceania. It has 40 affiliated organisations in 2 ...

. In 2006, the organisation described its aims thus: :The organisation seeks to bring about a just, welfare society with a higher standard of living. It believes that promoting a higher wage policy and the dignity and status of workers through a stronger trade union movement will help achieve this. Equipping workers with the skills to fight for fundamental rights, including the setting up of bona fide trade unions is perhaps its major undertaking. Under its current structure, ICFTU-APRO tackles education, information, social and economic policy, women, human and trade union rights and youth among its areas of work.

Affiliates

The following national organisations were affiliated to ICFTU-APRO in 2006: *

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Australian Council of Trade Unions The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), originally the Australasian Council of Trade Unions, is the largest peak body representing workers in Australia. It is a national trade union centre of 46 affiliated unions and eight trades and la ...

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

Bangladesh Free Trade Union Congress The Bangladesh Free Trade Union Congress (BFTUC) is a national federation of trade unions in Bangladesh. It was established in 1983. It is affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation. References

National trade union centr ...

Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal The Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Sramik Dal is a national trade union federation in Bangladesh and an affiliate of Bangladesh Nationalist Party. It is affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation. Anwar Hossain is the president of Jatyata ...

Bangladesh Labour Federation The Bangladesh Labour Federation (BLF) is a national trade union federation in Bangladesh. It is internationally affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC); german: Interna ...

Jatiya Sramik League The Bangladesh Jatiya Sramik League ( bn, বাংলাদেশ জাতীয় শ্রমিক লীগ "Bangladesh National Worker's League") is a national trade union federation in Bangladesh. Nationally, it is affiliated with the ...

Republic of China (Taiwan) Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...

** Chinese Federation of Labour *

Cook Islands ) , image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , capital = Avarua , coordinates = , largest_city = Avarua , official_languages = , lan ...

Cook Islands Workers Association Incorporated Cook or The Cook may refer to: Food preparation * Cooking, the preparation of food * Cook (domestic worker), a household staff member who prepares food * Cook (professional), an individual who prepares food for consumption in the food industry * ...

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

Fiji Trades Union Congress The Fiji Trades Union Congress (FTUC) is a trade union organisation in Fiji that was founded in 1952 under the leadership of Pandit Ami Chandra as the Fiji Industrial Workers Congress (FIWC). As the FIWC the organisation was the third federation ...

French Polynesia )Territorial motto: ( en, "Great Tahiti of the Golden Haze") , anthem = , song_type = Regional anthem , song = " Ia Ora 'O Tahiti Nui" , image_map = French Polynesia on the globe (French Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of Frenc ...

A Tia I Mua A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions The Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU) was a pro-democracy labour and political group in the Hong Kong. It was established on 29 July 1990. It had 160,000 members in 61 affiliates (mainly trade unions in various sectors) and rep ...

Hong Kong & Kowloon Trades Union Council The Hong Kong and Kowloon Trades Union Council is the third largest trade union federation in Hong Kong, after the Federation of Trade Unions (FTU) and pro-Beijing Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions (FLU). It is affiliated wit ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

Hind Mazdoor Sabha The Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS) was formed by the Socialists in 1948 but has little real connection with the Socialist Party. It is one of the least political and most pragmatic trade-union federations in India. The HMS is affiliated with the Inte ...

Indian National Trade Union Congress Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) is a national trade union in India. It was founded on 3 May 1947 and is affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation. According to provisional statistics from the Ministry of Labour, ...

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

General Federation of Labour in Israel Histadrut, or the General Organization of Workers in Israel, originally ( he, ההסתדרות הכללית של העובדים בארץ ישראל, ''HaHistadrut HaKlalit shel HaOvdim B'Eretz Yisrael''), is Israel's national trade union center ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

Japanese Trade Union Confederation The , commonly known as , is the largest national trade union center in Japan, with over six million members as of 2011.Rengo websitRengo brochure 2010-2011 Retrieved on July 6, 2012 It was founded in 1989 as a result of the merger of the Japan ...

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

**The

General Federation of Jordanian Trade Unions The General Federation of Jordanian Trade Unions (GFJTU) is the national trade union center in Jordan. It was founded in 1954. With a membership of 135,000 the GFJTU as of 2019, the GFJTU is the sole trade union center in the country with 17 aff ...

Kiribati Kiribati (), officially the Republic of Kiribati ( gil, ibaberikiKiribati),Kiribati
''The Wor ...

Kiribati Trades Union Congress The Kiribati Trade Union Congress (KTUC) is the national trade union center of Kiribati. It was formed in 1982. All 7 registered unions in Kiribati are affiliated with the KTUC. KTUC is affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation ...

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

Federation of Korean Trade Unions The Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) is a national trade union center in South Korea formed in 1960. It represents the company union tendency of the South Korean labour movement, as opposed to the more militant Korean Confederation of T ...

Korean Confederation of Trade Unions The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), literally translated as National Democratic Confederation of Trade Unions, also known as Minju-nochong ( ko, 민주노총; acronym for ''KCTU'' in Korean language) is a national trade union centr ...

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

Malaysian Trades Union Congress The Malaysian Trades Union Congress ( ms, Kongres Kesatuan Sekerja Malaysia), abbreviated MTUC, is a national trade union centre in Malaysia. It was formed in 1949 and was originally known as the ''Malayan Trades Union Council''. It then chang ...

Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...

Confederation of Mongolian Trade Unions The Confederation of Mongolian Trade Unions (CMTU, , ''Mongolyn Üildverchnii Evlelüüdiin Kholboo'') is a national trade union center in Mongolia. It was founded in 1927 as the ''Central Council of Mongolian Trade Unions''. The CMTU was affilia ...

Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...

Nepal Trade Union Congress The Nepal Trade Union Congress (NTUC) a national trade union center in Nepal. Founded in 1947, it was the first and largest trade union confederation in country. The NTUC is politically linked with the Nepali Congress (NC). In 2008, the NTUC and ...

New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...

Union Des Syndicates des Oudriers et Employes de Nouvelle Caledonie Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** Union ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

New Zealand Council of Trade Unions The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (NZCTU or CTU; mi, Te Kauae Kaimahi) is a national trade union centre in New Zealand. The NZCTU represents 360,000 workers, and is the largest democratic organisation in New Zealand. History It was form ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

All Pakistan Federation of Labour The All Pakistan Federation of Labour (APFOL) is a national trade union centre in Pakistan. It was founded in 1951 by Rahmatullah Chaudhary.All Pakistan Federation of Trade Unions The All Pakistan Federation of Trade Unions (APFTU) is a national trade union center in Pakistan. It was founded in 1947 and has a membership of 602,000. The APFTU is affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation The Internat ...

Pakistan National Federation of Trade Unions The Pakistan National Federation of Trade Unions (PNFTU) is a national trade union center in Pakistan. It is a member of the Pakistan Workers' Federation and is affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation The International ...

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

Papua New Guinea Trade Union Congress The Papua New Guinea Trade Union Congress (PNGTUC) is a national trade union center in Papua New Guinea. It was formed in 1970 and has a membership of 70,200. The PNGTUC grew from 11 affiliates and 17,000 members in 1986 to 30 unions and 60,000 m ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

** Trade Union Congress of Philippines *

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono Island, Manono an ...

** Samoa Trades Union Congress *

National Trades Union Congress The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), also known as the Singapore National Trades Union Congress (SNTUC) internationally, is the sole national trade union centre in Singapore. NTUC is at the heart of the Labour Movement which comprises 59 ...

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

Ceylon Workers' Congress The Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC) ( ta, இலங்கை தொழிலாளர் காங்கிரஸ், translit=Ilaṅkai Toḻilāḷar Kāṅkiras; si, ලංකා කම්කරු කොංග්‍රසය ''Lanka Kamkaru ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

Labour Congress of Thailand The Labour Congress of Thailand (LCT, th, สภาองค์การลูกจ้างสภาแรงงานแห่งประเทศไทย) is a trade union federation in Thailand which emerged following the fall of the mil ...

** Thai Trade Union Congress *

Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...

Friendly Islands Teachers' Association The Friendly Islands Teachers' Association (FITA) is the only trade union of teachers in Tonga. It is affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation and Education International. The union is incorporated, but not registered. Referenc ...

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions of Turkey The Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey ( Turkish: ''Türkiye Devrimci İşçi Sendikaları Konfederasyonu'', DİSK) is one of the four major national trade union centres in Turkey. It was founded in 1967 as a breakaway union from ...

Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions The Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions, ( tr, Türkiye İşçi Sendikaları Konfederasyonu) known as TÜRK-İŞ, is one of the four major national trade union centers in Turkey. It was created in 1952 and is the oldest of the four centers, havin ...

The Confederation of Turkish Real Trade Unions The Confederation of Turkish Real Trade Unions (HAK-İŞ) is one of the four major national trade union centers in Turkey. It was founded October 22, 1976, and has a membership of 680,000. It was established as a confederation of trade unions clo ...

Confederation of Public Servants Trade Unions A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a union of sovereign groups or states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

Vanuatu Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (french: link=no, République de Vanuatu; bi, Ripablik blong Vanuatu), is an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of no ...

** Vanuatu Council of Trade Unions

Leadership

General Secretaries

:1951: Dhyan Mungat :1956: Govardhan Mapara :1966: V. S. Mathur :1988: Takashi Izumi :2000: Noriyuki Suzuki

Presidents

:1953:

Robert Edward Jayatilaka Robert Edward Jayatilaka (16 August 1911 - ??) was a Ceylonese politician. Education and teaching career Robert Edward, also known as "Eric", Jayatilaka, attended Richmond College, Galle and once qualified as a teacher, he taught for a number ...

:1955: Jose J. Hernandez :1960: P. P. Narayanan :1965:

Haruo Wada Haruo Wada ( ja, 和田春生; 15 March 1919 – 17 October 1999) was a Japanese trade unionist and politician. Wada joined the Japanese Merchant Navy in 1939. He was a founding member of the All-Japan Seamen's Union in 1945. Starting in 19 ...

:1968:

Minoru Takita Minoru Takita ( ja, 滝田実, 15 December 1912 – 9 December 2000) was a Japanese trade union leader. Born in the Toyama Prefecture, Takita qualified as an electrical engineer at Takaoka Technical College, then worked at Nisshin Bõseki. ...

:1969: P. P. Narayanan :1976:

Devan Nair Chengara Veetil Devan Nair (5 August 1923 – 6 December 2005), also known as C. V. Devan Nair and better known simply as Devan Nair, was a Malaysian-Singaporean politician who served as the third president of Singapore from 1981 until his resi ...

:1982:

Tadanobu Usami Tadanobu Usami ( ja, 宇佐美忠信; 31 October 1925 – 10 November 2011) was a Japanese trade union leader. Born in Tokyo, Usami was educated at the Takachiho College of Economics, and in 1946 he began working at the Fuji Cotton Spinning C ...

:1988:

Gopeshwar Chamoli Gopeshwar is a township in the Garhwal hills and a municipal board within Chamoli district. It is the administrative headquarters of the Chamoli District of Uttarakhand in India. Located above sea level, it is famous for its weather (pl ...

:1994:

Ken Douglas Kenneth George Douglas (15 November 1935 – 14 September 2022) was a New Zealand trade union leader. Early life Douglas was born in Wellington in 1935. His parents were Marjorie "Maj" Alice ( Farrow) and John Atholwood "Atty" Douglas. He wa ...

:2000:

Sharan Burrow Sharan Leslie Burrow (born 12 December 1954) 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 wom ...

:2005:

Govindasamy Rajasekaran Govindasamy Rajasekaran (born 1941 or 1942) is a Malaysian former trade union leader. Rajasekaran was the founding general secretary of the Malaysian Metal Industry Employees' Union in 1963. The union affiliated to the Malaysian Trade Union Congre ...

References

{{ICFTU International organizations based in Asia International organizations based in Oceania Trade unions established in 1951 Trade unions disestablished in 2007 1951 establishments in Pakistan