The International Federation of Commercial, Clerical, Professional and Technical Employees (FIET; french: Fédération internationale des employés, techniciens et cadres) was a

global union federation A global union federation (GUF) is an international federation of national trade unions organizing in specific industry sectors or occupational groups. Historically, such federations in the social democratic tradition described as international t ...

bringing together workers representing clerical workers. The union was sometimes known as the International Federation of Employees, Technicians and Managers, or informally as the International Federation of White Collar Workers' Unions.

History

The first attempt to create an international federation of clerical workers was the International Commercial Employees' Secretariat, founded in Hamburg in 1909, and led by Edo Fimmen. It collapsed at the start of World War I. FIET was founded in 1921, in Vienna, as its replacement. Initially representing only European unions, after World War II the federation began admitting unions from around the world. The large majority of workers represented worked in banking, insurance, or as clerical staff in commerce and social services. In 1984, the

International Secretariat of Entertainment Trade Unions The International Secretariat of Entertainment Trade Unions (ISETU) was a global union federation bringing together trade unions representing workers in the arts, media and entertainment industries. History The secretariat was established in 1965, ...

became an autonomous section of the FIET. By 1994, membership of FIET had reached 11 million. At the end of 1999, it merged with the

Communications International The Postal, Telegraph and Telephone International (PTTI) was a global union federation bringing together unions of communications workers worldwide. History While a meeting of unions of communication workers was held in Paris in 1911, no lasting o ...

, the

International Graphical Federation The International Graphical Federation (IGF) was a global union federation bringing together unions of printing workers around the world. History Moved to establish the federation began in 1939, when the Lithographers' International, Internatio ...

, and the

Media and Entertainment International The Media and Entertainment International (MEI) was a global union federation representing workers in the arts. The federation was founded in 1993 with the merger of the International Secretariat of Arts, Communications, Media and Entertainment ...

, to form Union Network International.

Leadership

General Secretaries

:1904: Max Josephson :1910: Edo Fimmen :1921:

Gerrit Smit Gerrit Johan Adam Smit (8 April 1879 – 3 March 1934) was a Dutch trade union leader. Born in Zutphen, Smit became an accountant, then in 1903 moved to Amsterdam. He joined the National Association of Trade and Office Clerks, and became the e ...

:1934: Willem Spiekman :1958: Erich Kissel :1973:

Heribert Maier Heribert Maier (7 February 1932 – 6 November 2007) was an Austrian trade union leader. Born in Graz, Maier studied at the local gymnasium and then the University of Vienna, from which he obtained a doctorate in economics. Maier began workin ...

:1989: Philip Jennings

Presidents

:1921: Otto Urban :1933: Joseph Hallsworth :1947: Oreste Capocci :1949: James Young :1955: Friedrich Hillegeist :1960: Algot Jonsson :1962: Joe Hiscock :1964: James Suffridge :1970: Alfred Allen :1976: Günter Stephan :1983: Tom Whaley :1987:

Bengt Lloyd Bengt Lloyd (4 March 1928 – June 2013) was a Swedish people, Swedish trade union leader. Born in Malmö, Lloyd began working as a clerk at the Swedish Commercial Employees' Union (Handels), where he gradually rose to prominence. In 1953, he ...

:1991: Jochen Richert :1994:

Gary Nebeker Gary Raleigh Nebeker (September 12, 1942 – November 18, 2020) was an American trade union leader. Born in Berkeley, California, Nebeker began working full-time for the Retail Clerks International Union in the 1960s. In the late 1970s, he bec ...

:1999:

Maj-Len Remahl Maj-Len Anita Remahl (born 3 December 1942) is a Finnish former trade union leader. Born in Vaasa as Maj-Len Rönnholm, she grew up in a Swedish-speaking family in Sepänkylä, then in Palosaari and Huutoniemi. She was educated at the Vaasa Sv ...

References

{{Authority control Trade unions established in 1921 Trade unions disestablished in 1999 Global union federations Clerical trade unions