The World Confederation of Labour (WCL) was an international labour organization founded in 1920 and based in Europe.
Totalitarian
Totalitarianism is a form of government and a political system that prohibits all opposition parties, outlaws individual and group opposition to the state and its claims, and exercises an extremely high if not complete degree of control and reg ...
governments of the 1930s repressed the federation and imprisoned many of its leaders, limiting operations until the end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. In 2006 it became part of the
International Trade Union Confederation
The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC); german: Internationaler Gewerkschaftsbund (IGB), link=no; es, Confederación Sindical Internacional (CSI), link=no. is the world's largest trade union federation.
History
The federation w ...
(ITUC), ending its existence as an independent organization.
History
Founding
The WCL was founded at
The Hague
The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital o ...
in 1920 under the name of the International Federation of Christian Trade Unions (IFCTU) as a confederation of
trade union
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 benefits ...
s associated with the
Christian Democratic parties of
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
.
["History."](_blank)
Conféderation Mondiale du Travail/World Confederation of Labour
. Retrieved on August 19, 2007. Originally catering to
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
constituencies, the IFCTU was designed to provide an alternative to the secular trade unions in Europe at the time, basing its foundation on the ''
Rerum novarum'' and the ''
Quadragesimo anno''.
["World Confederation of Labour Archives"](_blank)
International Institute of Social History
The International Institute of Social History (IISH/IISG) is one of the largest archives of labor and social history in the world. Located in Amsterdam, its one million volumes and 2,300 archival collections include the papers of major figu ...
. Retrieved on August 19, 2007.
The first
statutes adopted by the group proclaimed its intention to struggle not only for workers' labour rights, but also values like human dignity, democracy, and international solidarity.
Jos Serrarens became the first secretary-general of the IFCTU; Joseph Scherrer was its first president.
Rise of fascism and World War II
In the late 1920s, global economic tumult compounded the growth of
authoritarian governments in Europe, which the IFCTU opposed. In response,
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
officials of the 1930s sent the group's leaders to
Nazi concentration camps
From 1933 to 1945, Nazi Germany operated more than a thousand concentration camps, (officially) or (more commonly). The Nazi concentration camps are distinguished from other types of Nazi camps such as forced-labor camps, as well as con ...
, and
Benito Mussolini banned its
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
affiliate.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, German forces occupying
The Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
destroyed the organization's
secretariat
Secretariat may refer to:
* Secretariat (administrative office)
* Secretariat (horse)
Secretariat (March 30, 1970 – October 4, 1989), also known as Big Red, was a champion American thoroughbred racehorse who is the ninth winner of the Ame ...
, and it became inactive until 1945.
The federation had difficulty renewing ties with most of its affiliates in
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, whic ...
after the end of the war.
The World of Trade Action
- WCL newsletter archive (2004-2006).
Cold War era
When the World Federation of Trade Unions
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 o ...
(WFTU) was founded in September 1945, it invited the IFCTU to join. Delegates to an October congress in Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
voted to reject the invitation, on the grounds that the WFTU's global unity was "too artificial".
The matter of affiliation with 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) is in dispute. The website of the WCL reports that it "preferred to remain independent," particularly in order to criticize both capitalist and communist abuses. However, according to the International Institute of Social History
The International Institute of Social History (IISH/IISG) is one of the largest archives of labor and social history in the world. Located in Amsterdam, its one million volumes and 2,300 archival collections include the papers of major figu ...
, member unions of the ICFTU were opposed to affiliating with the Christian organization.
WCL reformation
In the late 1950s, the IFCTU found itself working more frequently with Muslim and Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
workers in Asia and Africa. In 1959, the IFCTU convened a seminar in Saigon to determine the possibilities for points of unity among world religions in matters of social behaviour.
In 1968, delegates to the organization's 16th congress in Luxembourg
Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...
voted to transform it into the World Confederation of Labour (WCL). Breaking with the federation's strictly Christian ideology of the past, the newly adopted Declaration of Principles stated it would henceforth be guided by "either a spiritual concept based on the conviction that man and universe are created by God, or other concepts that lead together with it to a common effort to build a human community united in freedom, dignity, justice and brotherhood."
Globalization and ITUC merger
As globalization
Globalization, or globalisation (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English; American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), see spelling differences), is the process of foreign relation ...
became more of a threat to union membership throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the WCL increased its efforts to carry out a similar global unification of labour leadership. Its 1993 congress in Mauritius
Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label= Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It ...
attempted to lay out a concrete strategy for responding to business attacks on organized labour around the world. The WCL soon obtained consultative status within the International Labour Organization
The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards. Founded in October 1919 under the League of Nations, it is the first and o ...
and joined the International Council of the World Social Forum
The World Social Forum (WSF, pt, Fórum Social Mundial ) is an annual meeting of civil society organizations, first held in Brazil, which offers a self-conscious effort to develop an alternative future through the championing of counter-hegemoni ...
.
The WCL was formally dissolved on 31 October 2006 when it merged with 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) to form the International Trade Union Confederation
The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC); german: Internationaler Gewerkschaftsbund (IGB), link=no; es, Confederación Sindical Internacional (CSI), link=no. is the world's largest trade union federation.
History
The federation w ...
(ITUC).
Areas of activity
The WCL had nine areas of labour activity where it focused work.
Human rights and international labour standards
The WCL worked to enforce respect for international law, especially as codified by the ILO. The organization also sought to introduce labour standards into international trade policies.["Human Rights & International Labour Standards"](_blank)
Conféderation Mondiale du Travail/World Confederation of Labour
. Retrieved on August 19, 2007.
Women workers
The World Women's Committee of the WCL convened "representatives from the continents" annually to advocate for women workers and address problems specific to female labourers.["Women Workers"](_blank)
Conféderation Mondiale du Travail/World Confederation of Labour
. Retrieved on August 19, 2007.
Child labour
The WCL worked in support of the Global March Against Child Labour["ICFTU and Global March strategy meeting outcomes on combating child labour"](_blank)
Global March Against Child Labour
Retrieved on August 19, 2007. and advocated for ILO Convention 182
The Convention Concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, known in short as the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, was adopted by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 1 ...
, which addressed serious forms of child labour. The organization also assisted with the First World Congress of Child Workers.["Child labour"](_blank)
Conféderation Mondiale du Travail/World Confederation of Labour
. Retrieved on August 19, 2007.
Migrant workers
The rights of migrants — as humans and as workers — was a particular focus of the WCL's work, especially given its increased presence in a globalized economy.["Migration: one of the faces of globalisation"](_blank)
Conféderation Mondiale du Travail/World Confederation of Labour
. Retrieved on August 19, 2007.
Economics and society
Pursuant to the rise of globalization and interest in taking a larger view of macroeconomic
Macroeconomics (from the Greek prefix ''makro-'' meaning "large" + ''economics'') is a branch of economics dealing with performance, structure, behavior, and decision-making of an economy as a whole.
For example, using interest rates, taxes, and ...
policy, the WCL set up a socio-economic programme to address issues of such a scope. In addition to advocacy around matters at the World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization that regulates and facilitates international trade. With effective cooperation
in the United Nations System, governments use the organization to establish, revise, and ...
, the federation sought to reform the World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Inte ...
and International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C., consisting of 190 countries. Its stated mission is "working to foster glo ...
.["WCL relations with IMF and World Bank Group: Evaluation and Recommendations". Online i]
PDF format
Conféderation Mondiale du Travail/World Confederation of Labour
. Retrieved on August 19, 2007.
Informal economy
Workers in a society's informal economy — 60 to 90% of the active work population of Africa, according to the ILO["Informal Economy"](_blank)
Conféderation Mondiale du Travail/World Confederation of Labour
. Retrieved on August 19, 2007. — function outside of regulatory and government oversight. The WCL worked to help train local advocates and provide relief to workers in need, including a recycling program for informal economy workers in Brazil.["Brazil: trade union launches recycling project for informal economy workers"](_blank)
Conféderation Mondiale du Travail/World Confederation of Labour
. Retrieved on August 19, 2007.
Training
The WCL worked to provide capacity building
Capacity building (or capacity development, capacity strengthening) is the improvement in an individual's or organization's facility (or capability) "to produce, perform or deploy". The terms ''capacity building'' and ''capacity development'' ha ...
among its various member organizations, training local unionists in areas of recruitment, dues systems, and communications.["Capacity Building"](_blank)
Conféderation Mondiale du Travail/World Confederation of Labour
. Retrieved on August 19, 2007.
Trade action
The information clearinghouse of the WCL, Trade Action served to promote training; facilitate exchange of knowledge and advice; and support members' participation at meetings of international institutions. It also produced a newsletter, ''The World of Trade Action''.
International solidarity foundation
The WCL created the International Solidarity Foundation (ISF) to promote cross-country worker unity and provide emergency assistance (from a Solidarity Fund, established in 1958) to organizations in need. After the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, the ISF launched a solidarity campaign to assist workers and organizers in the region.["Jointly with the WCL, the ISF launches a solidarity campaign in Asia"](_blank)
Conféderation Mondiale du Travail/World Confederation of Labour
. Retrieved on August 19, 2007. The foundation worked in partnership with a variety of other groups, including the Confederation of Christian Trade Unions
The Confederation of Christian Trade Unions ( nl, Algemeen Christelijk Vakverbond, or ACV; french: Confédération des syndicats chrétiens, CSC) is the largest of Belgium's three trade union federations.
History
The federation was founded in ...
, the Christelijk Nationaal Vakverbond
The Christian National Trade Union Federation ( nl, Christelijk Nationaal Vakverbond, CNV) is a federation of trade unions of the Netherlands.
History
The CNV was founded on 13 May 1909, in Arnhem as a federation of several Christian unions. It w ...
, and the National Trade Union Confederation (Romania).
Affiliated secretariats
The federation had numerous affiliated trade secretariats, which changed over time. They were smaller than those affiliated to 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), and some unions affiliated to the WCL chose instead to affiliate to an ICFTU secretariat.
Leadership
General Secretaries
:1920: Jos Serrarens
:1952: August Vanistendael
:1968: Jean Brück
:1976: Jan Kułakowski
:1989: Carlos Custer
:1996: Willy Thys
Presidents
:1920: Josef Scherrer
:1928: Bernhard Otte
:1933: Henri Pauwels and Jules Zirnheld
Henri Jules Zirnheld (9 November 1876 – 18 December 1940) was a French trade union leader.
Born in the Alsace, Zirnheld studied at the Christian Brothers' school in Saint-Thomas-d'Aquin, Paris, then became an accountant. He was enthusiast ...
:1937: Jules Zirnheld
Henri Jules Zirnheld (9 November 1876 – 18 December 1940) was a French trade union leader.
Born in the Alsace, Zirnheld studied at the Christian Brothers' school in Saint-Thomas-d'Aquin, Paris, then became an accountant. He was enthusiast ...
:1946: Gaston Tessier
Aimé Auguste Tessier, known as Gaston Tessier (15 June 1887 – 8 August 1960) was a French trade unionist and Resistance member.
Born in Paris, Tessier attended a Christian Brothers' school. In 1905, he joined the Trade and Industry Employ ...
:1961: Maurice Bouladoux
:1973: Marcel Pepin Marcel Pepin (February 28, 1926 – March 6, 2000) was a trade unionist in Quebec, Canada. He was the president of the Confédération des syndicats nationaux from 1965 until 1976.
Biography
Pepin graduated with a master's degree in industrial re ...
:1981: Johnny Tan
Juan Cañizares Tan (October 10, 1922–September 8, 2005), known as Johnny Tan, was a Filipino trade union leader.
Tan grew up in Manila, and attended the Ateneo de Manila High School. He began working closely with the Catholic priest Walter H ...
:1989: Willy Peirens
Willy Peirens (born 19 August 1936) is a former Belgian trade union leader.
Born in Deinze, Peirens was active in the Catholic Workers' Youth, becoming its national co-ordinator in 1959. In 1968, he transferred to become youth officer at the Conf ...
:1997: Fernand Kikongi
:2001: Basile Mahan Gahé
See also
* List of federations of trade unions
This is a list of federations of trade unions currently in existence. Those federations listed under each country are also known as national trade union centres and are organizations formed by trade unions which operate, in most cases, at the ...
External links
Archives of the European Organisation of the World Confederation of Labour
i
ODIS - Online Database for Intermediary Structures
Archives of the International Organisation of the World Confederation of Labour
i
ODIS - Online Database for Intermediary Structures
Further reading
*
Notes
{{Authority control
Trade unions established in 1920
Trade unions disestablished in 2006
Christian trade unions
International and regional union federations