Global union federation

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A global union federation is an international federation of national and regional trade unions organising in specific industry sectors or occupational groups, previously known as international trade secretariats [ITSs].

Most major unions are members of one or more global union federations, relevant to the sectors where they have their members. Normally, the individual union will also be affiliated to a national trade union center, which in turn can be affiliated to a world body such as the International Trade Union Confederation, ITUC.

Together with the ITUC and the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD, ten global union federations jointly own and manage the web site Global Unions.

A very good new book on the GUFs appeared recently, Richard Croucher and Elizabeth Cotton's Global Unions, Global Business. Middlesex University Press (2009). This book explains how the GUFs really work, how they are funded, analyses their current situations and discusses their relations with companies. A case study of the ICEM's relations with the giant mining company Anglo-American is excellent.