16 September, 2011Joint IMF-ICEM-ITGLWF working groups make progress on the Statutes and Action Plan for the new global union federation at the meetings on August 30-31 in Geneva.
GENEVA: Working groups established by the Executive Committees of the International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF), the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) and the International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers Federation (ITGLWF) took steps to finalize the Statutes and launched the discussion on an Action Plan for the new global union federation. Members representing affiliates from all five continents met on August 30-31 in Geneva.
The Statutes Working Group examined the key points agreed at a joint Executive Committee meeting in May and made some final adjustments in the draft Statutes. The new International will be governed by an Executive Committee of 60 members until 2016, after which it will be reduced to 40 members. At least 30 per cent of the members shall be women.
The Statutes foresee regional structures and offices that will implement the organization's general policies and address matters specific to the region. There will also be 14 industrial sectors as well as sections for women and non-manual workers.
The Action Plan Group agreed on producing a short and punchy program, which will summarize the main priorities for the new global union. Some of the suggested headlines are building union power by organizing workers throughout supply chains and creating a powerful counterweight to transnational companies by uniting the workers in networks for solidarity and joint action.
Later the same week the IMF, ICEM and ITGLWF held a first joint global staff seminar in Geneva. The participants shared their experiences about the way of working of the three organizations and identified opportunities to combine strengths for more powerful action.
The Statutes and Action Plan will be discussed at the decision-making bodies of the three partner federations, including ITGLWF's Executive Committee in September, ICEM's Congress in November and IMF's Central Committee in December. The final proposals are expected to be adopted at a second joint Executive Committee meeting in February 2012, to be presented to the Founding Congress in June 2012 in Copenhagen.