The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) was set up in 1949 and now has 215 affiliated organizations in 145 countries and territories on all five continents, with a membership of 125 million. It is a confederation of national trade union centres, each of which links together trade unions of that particular country. The ICFTU cooperates closely with the International Labour Organization and has consultative status with the United Nation's Economic and Social Council.
The present book is the first history to be written of this important organization. A team of researchers describes the development of the ICFTU's precursors (the International Secretariat of National Trade Union Centres, the International Federation of Trade Unions, and the early World Federation of Trade Unions), and reconstructs the complicated history of the ICFTU itself, from its origins during the Cold War, through anti-colonial struggles, European unification, international campaigns against Apartheid and many other issues. A final chapter discusses the organization's prospects in the twenty-first century.
The present book is the first history to be written of this important organization. A team of researchers describes the development of the ICFTU's precursors (the International Secretariat of National Trade Union Centres, the International Federation of Trade Unions, and the early World Federation of Trade Unions), and reconstructs the complicated history of the ICFTU itself, from its origins during the Cold War, through anti-colonial struggles, European unification, international campaigns against Apartheid and many other issues. A final chapter discusses the organization's prospects in the twenty-first century.
"...this book contains an undeniable wealth of information and provides a solid overview of the international free trade-union movement's development in the twentieth century. No doubt it will remain an indispensable reference work for decades to come, not only for labour historians but also for scholars of international organizations and politics." (Patrick Pasture, International Review of Social History)
"Il manquait une étude de la Confédération internationale des syndicats libres. L'ouvrage dirigé par Marcel van der Linden comble désormais cette lacune. [...] Pour la première fois, l'histoire complète de cette Internationale nous est retracée jusqu'à nos jours. Souhaitons que les travaux de cette qualité se multiplient." (A.L. Vie Sociale)
"Il manquait une étude de la Confédération internationale des syndicats libres. L'ouvrage dirigé par Marcel van der Linden comble désormais cette lacune. [...] Pour la première fois, l'histoire complète de cette Internationale nous est retracée jusqu'à nos jours. Souhaitons que les travaux de cette qualité se multiplient." (A.L. Vie Sociale)