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27-694: The ICFTU African Regional Organisation (AFRO) was a regional organisation of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), representing trade unions from countries in Africa . The organisation held its first congress in Accra in January 1957, but had little organisation in its early years. In 1965, the ICFTU's secretariat placed the organisation under the direct control of

54-418: A daily basis—alerts and calls to action. The ICFTU published its "Annual Survey of Violations of Trade Union Rights" every June, the publication of which was usually accompanied by extensive press coverage of the violations of trade union rights around the world. The report often focused on the numbers of people killed for being members of unions. In its constitution, the organisation pledged itself to "champion

81-488: A forerunner institution of the ITUC, between 2004 and its absorption into the ITUC in 2006. Recognising the significance of her election as the first female leader of the world's largest international trade union organisation, in her acceptance speech after becoming General Secretary of the ITUC, Burrow underlined the necessity of female participation in organised labour: I am a warrior for women and we still have work to ensure

108-658: A former president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) (2000–2010). She was the first woman to become General Secretary of the ITUC since its foundation in 2006, and was the second woman to become President of the ACTU. Burrow was born in Warren, New South Wales to a family with strong involvement in the labour movement . She graduated in teaching with the University of New South Wales in 1976 and became

135-537: A major portion of the labour force, but have few rights. Qatar is singled out as a source of good news, with the country adopting a new labour code which, although still below international standards, allowed for the establishment of free trade unions. Sharan Burrow Sharan Leslie Burrow AC (born 12 December 1954) was the general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) (2010-2022) and

162-557: A small staff and budget. For example, the organisation's constitution required it "to carry out a programme of trade union and workers' education" as well as to give "assistance to those suffering from the consequences of natural and industrial disasters". In 2004 Australian union leader Sharan Burrow was elected as the first female president of the ICFTU. ICFTU published an annual report which documents violations by governments, industries, and military and police forces against both workers and related trade unions. Released on 7 June 2006

189-690: A teacher in the early 1980s, which allowed her to become involved in the New South Wales Teachers Federation . She later became President of the Bathurst Trades and Labor Council. Before becoming President of the ACTU she was also President of the Australian Education Union (AEU) in 1992. Burrow was elected President of the ACTU in May 2000. The most significant public event of her term of office

216-578: A union. In Canada a collective agreement was imposed by law on members of the BCTF . ICFTU singled out Bangladesh , Cambodia , China , India , South Korea and the Philippines as having "particularly" violent episodes. In Bangladesh three trade unionists were killed when police intervened in a Sinha Textile Mill protest. In South Korea, Kim Tae-hwan from the Federation of Korean Trade Unions

243-550: Is reported. Although there are no details concerning the exact circumstances, he had previously received threats, and his house had been set on fire. In Iraq , during the first two months of 2005 Hadi Salih , international secretary of the Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU) was brutally tortured and killed. Talib Khadim and Saady Edan , both also from the IFTU were attacked and kidnapped. Two attempts were made on

270-752: The African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation . International Confederation of Free Trade Unions Prior to being dissolved, the ICFTU had a membership of 157 million members in 225 affiliated organisations in 148 countries and territories. In 1949, early in the Cold War , alleging Communist domination of the WFTU's central institutions, a large number of non-communist national trade union federations (including

297-653: The Company: CIA Diary " that the ICFTU was a "Labor center set up and controlled by the CIA to oppose the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU)." The ICFTU was formally dissolved on 31 October 2006 when it merged with the World Confederation of Labour (WCL) to form the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). The ICFTU had four regional organisations. APRO covered Asia and

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324-555: The ICFTU General Secretary, and it did not regain its autonomy until 1972. At that year's congress, F. T. Tekie of Ethiopia was elected as General Secretary of AFRO, but he was arrested in 1974. but the current organisation was not fully formed until 1993. In 2007, the ICFTU merged with the World Confederation of Labour (WCL). AFRO merged with the WCL's Democratic Organization of African Workers' Trade Union , forming

351-555: The ICFTU's work was the struggle to defend workers' rights. The ICFTU lobbied for the ratification of the so-called "core labour standards"—eight key conventions of the International Labour Organization concerning freedom of association, the abolition of child labour and forced labour and the elimination of discrimination in the workplace. The ICFTU has staff which are devoted entirely to the monitoring and defence of workers rights, and they issue—almost on

378-766: The Pacific, AFRO in Africa, and ORIT for the Americas. Until 1969, the ERO covered Europe, but it became increasingly marginal and was dissolved. The ICFTU later maintained close links with the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), which included all ICFTU European affiliates). It also worked closely with many Global Union Federations , which link together national unions from a particular trade or industry at international level. Central to

405-690: The U.S. AFL–CIO , the British TUC , the French FO , the Italian CISL and the Spanish UGT ) seceded and created the rival ICFTU at a conference in London attended by representatives of nearly 48 million members in 53 countries. Throughout its existence, the ICFTU had internal disputes over what approach to hold to communism. From the 1950s the ICFTU actively recruited new members from

432-471: The cause of human freedom, promote equality of opportunity for all people, seek to eliminate everywhere in the world any form of discrimination or subjugation based on race, religion, sex or origin, oppose and combat totalitarianism and aggression in any form". That constitution listed no fewer than seventeen aims of the organisation and it has been argued that the ICFTU from its very beginning set itself goals that would be impossible to achieve—particularly with

459-577: The creation of independent trade unions was a common trait across Central and Eastern Europe, both by employers and the State." Examples include an organised government attempt to coerce workers to leave independent trade unions in Moldova . Belarus is highlighted as wanting to return to Soviet -era trade union centres, with the ensuing close ties to the government. The death of one trade unionist in Russia

486-577: The death of a Djibouti drivers' union member during a demonstration by striking minibus and lorry drivers. The report of violence in the Americas details a total of 80 deaths, more than half of the number reported worldwide. 70 of those deaths were in Colombia , while an additional 260 Colombian workers received death threats. In Ecuador 44 workers at the San Jose plantation were fired for forming

513-528: The developing regions of first Asia and subsequently Africa . Following the collapse of Communist party government in the Soviet Union and eastern Europe , the Federation's membership has risen steeply from 87 million in 1988 and 100 million in 1992, as trade union federations from former Soviet bloc countries joined the ICFTU. In 1975 former CIA agent Philip Agee revealed in his book " Inside

540-457: The inclusion of women in the work place and in our unions. The struggles for women are multiple – too often within their families for independence, then in the workplace for rights and equal opportunity, in their unions for access and representation and then as union leaders. But the investment in and participation of women is not only a moral mandate it is an investment in democracy and a bulwark against fundamentalism and oppression. Organising women

567-510: The life of the president of the IFTU's Kirkuk branch. Ali Hassan Abd of the Oil and Gas Workers' Union was shot and killed in front of his children, and Ahmed Adris Abas of the Transport and Communications Union , was shot dead. The report also details the difficulties faced by migrant workers in many countries, such as Kuwait , Lebanon , Oman , Qatar and Saudi Arabia , where they are

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594-625: The most striking features of the violations that took place in Africa is the failure of governments to respect the rights of their own employees, both through the restrictions in law on organising, collective bargaining and strike action, and repression in practice." The report continues on to detail violations such as the lack of the right to organise unions in the public service in Lesotho ; the police use of stun guns, rubber bullets and tear gas at workers' strikes and protests in South Africa ; and

621-452: The report reprised the year 2005. The press release from ICFTU OnLine reports, "115 trade unionists were murdered for defending workers' rights in 2005, while more than 1,600 were subjected to violent assaults and some 9,000 arrested ... Nearly 10,000 workers were sacked for their trade union involvement, and almost 1,700 detained." The report is divided into five regional sections, with detailed reports by country. ICFTU wrote that, "One of

648-461: The right to organise and negotiate collectively) which has been removed or jeopardised by the earlier legislation. At the time of her presidency with ACTU , a PPL (Paid Parental Leave) policy program was passed in Australia, for which she said; this would give dignity and respect to women workers. Burrow continued as President of the ACTU until the end of June 2010 when she demitted office and

675-431: Was elected General Secretary (i.e. leader) of the International Trade Union Confederation . Before her election as General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation on 25 June 2010, Burrow was President of the ITUC from its foundation in 2006 until her election as General Secretary in 2010 and had previously been the first female President of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU),

702-614: Was run over and killed while on the picket line. In the Philippines , Diosdado Fortuna , leader of the Food and Drug Industry Union , was shot dead by two unidentified gunmen, Victoria Ramonte of the Andres Soriano College Employees' Union was stabbed to death, and Ricardo Ramos, President of the Sugar Workers' Union was shot and killed. The report on Europe begins by noting "Strong resistance to

729-686: Was the ACTU's 'Your Rights at Work' campaign against the Howard government 's ' WorkChoices ' industrial relations legislation in the lead up to the 2007 Australian federal election . At the election, the Howard government was defeated, and the incoming Rudd government repealed the WorkChoices legislation and replaced it with the Fair Work Act 2009, which was praised by the ACTU for its restoration and protection of many workers' rights (such as

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