14 December, 2009
The International Textiles, Garment, and Leather Workers’ Federation (ITGLWF) held its Tenth World Congress in Frankfurt, Germany, from 2-4 December. The ITGLWF adopted several major decisions regarding the coming work re-organization. The theme of this Tenth Congress was “Organise = Decent Work = Decent Life,” and it brought together 214 delegates from 97 trade unions in 68 countries.
It also paid moving tribute to the necessary humanitarian contributions made by the late ITGLWF General Secretary, Neil Kearney. Kearney’s daughters were at the Congress and told of their father.
Neal Kearney’s daughters, Nicole and Caroline
The Congress was hosted by IG Metall at its Frankfurt headquarters.
The Congress took place just two weeks after General Secretary Neil Kearney died from a heart attack while doing important ITGLWF work in Bangladesh. The global trade union movement was shocked and saddened. Kearney, the ITGLWF General Secretary for the past 21 years, performed some of the toughest and most meaningful work in the world.
The Frankfurt Congress confirmed the appointment of Patrick Itschert as the new General Secretary. Itschert has led the European regional organization of ETUC:TCL, for nearly two decades. He will continue in both roles.
Congress unanimously elected Hisanobu Shimada of Japan as the organisation’s new president. Hisanobu Shimada is the General Secretary of ITGLWF affiliate UI Zensen. Outgoing president Manfred Schallmeyer of IG Metall received a special message of appreciation from Congress, for his work during the past five years as president.
Manfred Schallmeyer hands over the presidency to Hisanobu Shimada
The ITGLWF’s Congress elected fifteen Vice-Presidents, eight of whom are women, and formally approved the membership of the Executive Committee.
The future of the ITGLWF was a major issue on the agenda. Congress recognised the need for a powerful trade union force across manufacturing industries, in response to corporate restructuring and obvious synergies created within the continual overlaps of the world’s manufacturing sectors. The ITGLWF Congress resolved that the Global Union Federation make all necessary efforts to ensure the creation of a new GUF for manufacturing, and that it be concluded no later than 2011.