ICFTU Archives
Period 1949-1993
Total size 214 m.
Consultation Restricted
History
Founded in London in 1949 by unions opposing growing communist control of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) in the initial phase of the cold war; the breakaway was triggered by the WFTU's aim to absorb the hitherto autonomous International Trade Secretariats (ITS) and its rejection of the Marshall Plan; with this background and the American Federation of Labor (AFL) as an affiliate, the ICFTU in the first two decades of its existence strongly identified with Western democratic values and strictly refused contacts with communist and Eastern European state controlled unions; it closely cooperated with the sixteen ITS's; shortly after its founding the ICFTU established a network of regional organizations: the European Regional Organisation (ERO) in 1950, the Organización Regional Interamericana de Trabajadores (ORIT), the Asian Regional Organisation (ARO) in 1951, and finally the African Regional Organisation (AFRO) in 1960; increasing bilateral Eastern European contacts of member unions and a dispute concerning affiliation of the United Automobile Workers (UAW) caused the walk out of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) in 1969, reentering in 1982; following the changes in the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries some trade unions in these countries left the WFTU to affiliate with the ICFTU; membership as a rule is open to trade unions independent from external control but, from the Third World in particular, members with limited freedom from government, political parties and employers, have also been accepted.
Content
Minutes, agenda, reports and working papers relating to congresses 1949-1992, meetings of the Executive Board 1949-1992, the Sub-Committee (Emergency Committee) 1950-1974, the General Council 1950-1953 and the Consultative Council 1953-1958; circulars 1950-1992; copies of outgoing mail 1978-1989; documents relating to the meetings of the committees of the ICFTU, including the Constitutional Committee 1968-1969, the Finance Sub-Committee 1957-1968, the Regional Activities Fund Committee 1951-1960, the International Solidarity Fund Committee 1957-1968, the Finance and General Purposes Committee 1968-1992, the Economic and Social Committee 1969-1992, the Education Policy Committee 1977-1991, the ICFTU/ITS Working Party on Multinational Companies 1973-1993, Committee on Contacts with Communist Controlled Trade Union Organisations 1968-1975, the Human and Trade Union Rights Committee 1993, the Coordinating Committee on Spain 1967-1970, the Coordinating Committee on Southern Africa 1974-1993, the Committee for the Defence of Human and Trade Union Rights in Latin America 1979-1992, the Women's Committee 1956-1993, the ICFTU/ITS Working Group on Young Workers' Questions 1973-1989; documents relating to conferences, seminars and workshops of the ICFTU relating to economics, the atomic energy, education in the labour movement, international migration and other issues, and to the ICFTU World Women Conferences 1967-1991 and the World Youth Rallies 1963-1991; copies of press releases 1950-1982 and of the International Trade Union News 1977-1983; correspondence with and concerning the branch offices in Geneva, New York, Vienna, Nairobi, Accra, Beirut, Lagos, Tokyo, Singapore, Djakarta, Rio de Janeiro and Santiago 1950-1976; correspondence with and concerning the ITS 1949-1975, the World Confederation of Labour (WCL) 1950-1977, the WFTU 1950-1974, the International Centre of Free Trade Unionists in Exile (ICFTUE) 1950-1974, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) 1973-1982 and the All-African Trade Union Federation (AATUF) 1959-1971; correspondence and other documents concerning the contacts with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the United Nations (UN) and its special agencies; with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Amnesty International, the Moral Rearmament, the Socialist International, the International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY) and other international and intergovernmental organizations 1950-1979; documents relating to the International Labour Film Institute (ILFI) 1953-1972; personal correspondence of the general secretaries J.H. Oldenbroek and Omer Becu 1950-1969; correspondence and reports on the financial matters of the ICFTU 1950-1974; correspondence with and concerning hundreds of affiliated and non-affiliated trade unions from all continents, including the AFL-CIO, the British Trades Union Congress (TUC), the Confederación de Trabajadores de México (CTM), the Confederación General del Trabajo (CGT) de la República Argentina, the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions Türk-Iş, the Deutsche Gewerkschaftsbund (DGB), the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU), the General Council of Trade Unions of Japan (Sohyo), the Indian Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), the Union Marocaine du Travail (UMT) and the United Labour Congress of Nigeria (ULCN), 1950-1976; files on the economic, political and trade union situation in various countries 1950-1976; reports of the missions to various countries 1950-1974. Documents relating to the African Regional Organisation (AFRO) consisting of correspondence, agenda, reports concerning the meetings of the Executive Board of the AFRO, the African regional conferences, the AFRO's finances and staff matters, the African Labour College (Kampala College) and African Research Office 1957-1979. Documents relating to the Asian Regional Organisation (ARO) consisting of correspondence, minutes, agenda, circulars and reports concerning the Regional Executive Board, Asian Regional Conferences, Asian Trade Union College (ATUC), the finances of the ARO, the ARO staff matters, seminars, courses and other educational activities 1950-1978. Documents relating to the European Regional Organisation (ERO) consisting of correspondence, minutes, agenda and reports concerning the meetings of the European Regional Council, the ERO Executive Committee, various committees of the ERO, European regional conferences and European summer schools and seminars 1951-1972. Documents relating to the Organización Regional Interamericana de Trabajadores (ORIT) consisting of correspondence concerning the congresses of the ORIT, the meetings of the Executive Committee, Administrative Committee and other ORIT meetings and conferences, the finances of the ORIT, the Inter-American Institute for Labour Studies (IIES) 1950-1976.
Processing information
Inventory made by Erhan Tuskan in 1997
Secondary creator
International Labour Film Institute. Organización Regional Interamericana de Trabajadores. International Center of the Free Trade Unionists in Exile.Alternate Form of Material
295 security microfilms
I N T R O D U C T I O N
Historical background: some dates (1)
The International Confederation of Trade Unions (ICFTU), the most representative international trade union body at present, was founded at the Free World Labour Conference held in London from 28 November to 7 December 1949 by the principal non-communist trade union national centres which had left the World Federation of Trade Unions. Within three years, in December 1999, the ICFTU will celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of its founding. In the framework of this brief introduction we are not going to give a detailed record of the ICFTU activities during this half century which are so many and varied. Rather we shall confine the present introduction to some important dates and remarks so as to facilitate the study of the list of the ICFTU archives given below.
The founding of the ICFTU was the culmination of the efforts to form an effective and world-wide international organisation of free trade unions which had been uniting workers for almost one hundred years. The organisations involved represented the most important trend in the international labour movement. Although the ICFTU came into being in 1949, its origin can be traced back to the International Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU) and its predecessors. The idea of an international trade union organisation started to take concrete form at the beginning of the twentieth century. In 1901 in Copenhagen the first international trade union conference was held. Two years later at the conference in Dublin the International Trade Union Secretariat (ITUS) was established, with Karl Leigen as the first International Secretary. At the Zurich Congress in 1913 the ITUS was transformed into the International Federation of Trade Unions. Many trade unions which took the initiative towards founding of the ICFTU had participated in the creation of the IFTU and its predecessor. Some of the International Trade Secretariats (ITS) associated with the ICFTU had also been associated with the IFTU.
Before World War I and between the two world wars the international labour movement was far from united. Besides the IFTU there were the Red International of Labour Unions (RILU) founded in 1919 and the International Federation of Christian Trade Unions (IFCTU) founded in 1920. Attempts at cooperation and unity between the various trends failed until the end of World War II.
World War II was to bring considerable upheaval in the activities of trade unions. On the other hand it gave a tremendous impetus to unity within the international trade union movement. The international policy of cooperation of the allied forces was reflected in a new spirit of solidarity within the labour movement. From 1941 parallel to the joint waging of war against Nazi Germany joint British-Russian, British-American and British-French trade union committees were set up. In February 1945 the World Trade Union Conference was held, with the participation of the representatives of approximately forty national centres, among others, the All Union Central Council of Trade Unions (AUCCTU) of the Soviet Union, the British Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the American Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO). This conference was followed by the Paris Conference in October 1945, at which the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) was founded in place of the IFTU and RILU.
However, along with immediate post-war optimism, the hopes of cooperation between communist-controlled and non-communist trade union organisations in the WFTU did not last long. The early years of the WFTU were characterised by serious internal deep-rooted conflicts over basic questions which were not only ideological but also organisational.
At organisational level the question of whether the WFTU should be a centralised body formed a source of discord between Western and communist-orientated trade unions. With attempts to absorb the autonomous International Trade Secretariats into the structure of the WFTU the internal conflict became bigger.
The increased deterioration of international relations between East and West in the initial phase of the cold war played its own role in the developments in the WFTU. From 1947 onwards many western trade unions began to feel uneasy about the growing alliance of the WFTU to Soviet policies. The breaking point finally came with the introduction of the European Recovery Plan (ERP), better known as Marshall Plan. While the Executive Board of the WFTU adopted a negative attitude towards the Marshall Plan, many western trade unions under the leadership of the British TUC convened a conference in 1948 and established the Trade Union Advisory Committee for the European Recovery Plan.
The split became complete in 1949 when the representatives of the TUC, the American CIO and the Dutch Trade Union Federation (NVV) left the special meeting of the WFTU Executive Board in Paris, held to discuss the proposal of the British TUC of suspending all the activities of the WFTU for one year. By June 1949 Irish, Norwegian, New Zealand, Danish, Belgian, Australian, Swedish and Swiss trade union centres had withdrawn from the WFTU. The American Federation of Labor (AFL), which had not taken part into the WFTU, joined them. In the same month a preparatory conference met in Geneva. The work of this conference led to the World Conference of Free Trade Unions and brought about the foundation of the ICFTU in December 1949.
The founding congress of the ICFTU, which followed immediately the World Free Labour Conference, was attended by 261 delegates from 53 countries representing nearly 48 million workers. The geographical composition of its membership was quite distinct from that of the IFTU, which was largely confined to European and American trade unions. The ICFTU was truly international grouping trade union organisations from all continents.
Besides the first constitution, at the founding congress there had been adopted a manifesto entitled 'Bread, Peace and Freedom', which defined the aims of the ICFTU. As they are laid down in the constitution and this document these aims are briefly as follows:
- - to promote the interests of working people throughout the world;
- - to work for constantly rising living standards, for peace, full employment and social security;
- - to reduce the gap between rich and poor, both within and between nations;
- - to work for international understanding, for disarmament and the establishment of peace;
- - to help workers everywhere to organise themselves and secure recognition of their organisations as free bargaining agents;
- - to fight against oppression and dictatorship everywhere and against discrimination of any kind on the grounds of race, colour, creed or sex;
- - to defend the fundamental human and trade union rights.
From its inception the ICFTU tried to fulfil these aims by strengthening its organisational and financial structure, coordinating the activities of affiliated organisations, supporting the trade union organisations in Africa, Asia and Latin America through technical, financial and educational assistance, representing its members before international forums and agencies, developing new policies on major issues, such as decolonisation, East-West relations, disarmament, human and trade union rights, full employment, industrial democracy, multinational companies and others.
Building up an effective administrative and organisational machinery was one of the main concerns of the ICFTU in the first decade of its existence. The founding congress set up the headquarters in Brussels and chose as its general secretary J. H. Oldenbroek, previously general secretary of the International Transport Workers' Federation. Paul Finet from the Trade Union Federation of Belgium (FGTB) was elected as the first president.
Shortly after its founding the ICFTU established a network of regional organisations, each composed by the affiliates from that region. In November 1950 the European Regional Organisation(ERO) was set up, with headquarters in Brussels. The Inter-American Regional Organisation of Workers (ORIT) followed it in January 1951, with headquarters in Mexico City. The same year in May the Asian Regional Organisation (ARO) was founded, based in New Delhi (later its name was changed in Asian and Pacific Regional Organisation; APRO). Creating and sustaining a regional organisation in Africa was more problematic because of the organising difficulties caused by the governments of newly independent states in this continent. The African Regional Organisation (AFRO) was established in 1960 in Lagos, Nigeria. In 1965 the AFRO suspended its activities until 1972. The ERO was dissolved in 1969 when the national trade union centres of the European Economic Community formed the European Confederation of Free Trade Unions, while the national centres of the European Free Trade Area countries formed the EFTA Trade Union Committee. Their merger in 1973 gave birth to the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)(2).
Apart from the regional organisations the ICFTU established three residental labour colleges for Asia, Africa and the Americas to carry on its extensive education and training programmes. The Asian Trade Union College (ATUC) was inaugurated in 1952 in Calcutta. It moved to New Delhi later. In 1958 the ICFTU established the African Labour College in Kampala, Uganda. Four years later the ICFTU/ORIT Inter-American Institute for Labor Studies (IIES) was created in Cuernavaca, Mexico.
To finance its organising and educational activities, particularly in the Third World, the Regional Activities Fund was started by the second congress in 1951. The fund depended on contributions from affiliates and the ITS. The Regional Activities Fund was abolished in 1955. The fifth congress in Tunis in 1957 set up another multi-purpose fund, the International Solidarity Fund (ISF), which provides help for the victims of persecution and oppression as well as the regional activities.
In the field of representative work, from the date of its creation until today the ICFTU has tried to raise the voice of its members in the United Nations and its specialised agencies and to establish relations with international organisations, both governmental and non-governmental. Since 1950 it has had consultative status at the United Nations and its special agencies, in particular the International Labour Organisation (ILO), UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Economic and Social Council of the UN (ECOSOC), the UN Education, Scientific, Social and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). It also enjoys consultative status at inter-governmental bodies, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and others.
Maintaining effective relations with the International Trade Secretariats (ITS) was always a matter of great importance to the ICFTU. Being international organisations of national unions of a specific industry or trade the ITS retain their independence, whilst they are associated with the ICFTU. The principles which define the terms of relationships between the ICFTU and the ITS were outlined and adopted at the Milan Congress in 1951. These principles, although amended twice in 1969 by the ninth congress and in 1992 by the fifteenth congress, have remained the basis of the relationship ever since. According to this division of tasks, the ITS are concerned primarily with specific matters of their industrial sectors, such as collective bargaining, working conditions and strikes, while the ICFTU deals with more general issues and often represents the ITS, as well as its own affiliations, in various international bodies.
All these activities at various levels led to a significant increase in the membership and in the number of affiliated organisations during the first ten years. But the ICFTU experienced also setbacks. During the 1960s a noticable recession occurred in the number of affiliated organisations, chiefly because of the disaffiliation of many African centres.
A further decline in membership was caused by the withdrawal of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) in 1969, the biggest affiliate of the ICFTU which came into being in 1955 through the merger of the AFL and the CIO. The AFL-CIO's dissatisfaction with the ICFTU's policy towards communism and relations with the affiliations of the WFTU played a major role in the withdrawal. But the breaking point came over the attitude of the ICFTU towards the request of the former AFL-CIO affiliate, the United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers (UAW), for membership of the ICFTU. The AFL-CIO re-affiliated in 1982.
The relationship with the WFTU and its affiliates was a complex problem that the ICFTU had to deal with in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Relations between two confederations were always characterised by rivalry and hostility. Originally the ICFTU rejected or ignored any contact with the WFTU and between individual unions of the two confederations. The AFL-CIO was one of the most determined supporters of this stance. Some ICFTU member organisations (especially European trade unions), however, did not follow this stance strictly and entered into bilateral contacts with communist-orientated trade unions, first beginning with exchanges of delegations and visits. Disagreements over this problem created tensions inside the ICFTU. In 1967 a special committee was appointed to establish consistency among the member organisations. In the early 1970s the ICFTU redefined its policy toward the WFTU, this time bringing more understanding to the bilateral East-West trade union contacts.
Apart from its organisational activities the main concerns of the ICFTU during 1980s and early years of 1990s were to find appropriate trade union responses to adapt its policies to the new developments in the world economy. This concern is readily apparent in the themes of the congresses held by the late 1970s. The twelfth congress in 1979 adopted a programme entitled 'The Priorities of the the 80s', which outlined the new policy guidelines of the confederation. The major theme of the Melbourne Congress in 1988 was also the same and was called 'The Challenge of Change'. The fifteenth congress in Caracas in 1992 amended the constitution of the ICFTU in the light of recent changes throughout the world.
The sweeping changes that have occurred in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe have had their own impact on the ICFTU, opening a new period in the history of international trade union movement. Following the collapse of regimes in Central and Eastern Europe, some trade union centres in the countries, such as Poland, Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria left the WFTU and affiliated with the ICFTU. As a result of these developments the membership of the ICFTU increased sharply from about 87 million in 1988 to 100 million in 1992.
Organisation and structure
The ICFTU is a confederation made up of national trade union centres which bring together the trade unions of each particular country. According to the ICFTU constitution membership is open to all bona fide national trade union centres accepting the aims and the constitution of the confederation. The affiliation of more than one centre from any one country is also possible, as it is in the case of Italy, Sweden, India and Finland, to mention a few examples. In some countries even individual unions can be accepted into the membership. In all cases the final decision of the ICFTU Executive Board is required. Within the structure of the ICFTU, which avoids centralisation, the member organisations enjoy a wide degree of autonomy.
The Confederation has three important governing bodies: congress, executive board and secretariat.
The supreme body of the organisation is the World Congress. By 1979 the congresses meet every four years (previously this frequency used to be shorter: two years at the beginning and three years after 1959). All the affiliated organisations are represented at the congress and each ITS sends its own representatives. The congress has the power to decide all issues, including amendments to the constitution and major changes in policy. It also elects the Executive Board and the General Secretary.
At the time of its creation there was another organ, the General Council, which acted as a "miniature congress". But the General Council held only one meeting. It was abolished by the Stockholm Congress in 1953 and replaced by the Consultative Council which had a more advisory status in comparison with the General Council. This organ also ceased to exist in 1958, after meeting only three times.
The Executive Board is the second important authority in the hierarchy of governing bodies. Its composition is based on regional representation. By 1992 the ITS were represented collectively at meetings of the Executive Board by the representatives elected at the ITS General Conference. Following the amendments to the Milan Agreement in 1992 the representation of the ITS was shifted from the collective to the individual basis. The Executive Board meets at least once a year and has the right to act on behalf of the confederation, directing the activities of the ICFTU between congresses. It elects the president and vice-presidents.
The Executive Board also elects, from among its members, a Sub-Committee. This committee, which was also called Emergency Committee, deals with questions of urgency or importance between Executive Board meetings. Following the amendments made by the fifteenth congress in 1992 the name of the committee was changed to Steering Committee.
Another sub-committee elected by the Executive Board, which plays a special role in the decision making procedure of the ICFTU (especially in financial matters), is the Finance and General Purposes Committee. This committee emerged in 1968 from the integration of the Finance Sub-Committee, which dealt with the finances of the ICFTU and the International Solidarity Fund Committee, which was responsible for the admistration of the International Solidarity Fund. Two other committees with a governing character as well as advisory are the Economic and Social Committee, which prepares the Executive Board's economic and social policy, and the Education Policy Committee, which reviews the educational matters of the ICFTU.
The Secretariat which is based in Brussels and headed by the General Secretary is responsible for the administration of the confederation and for keeping contacts with the affiliated organisations.
The ICFTU has now two permanent branch offices in Geneva and New York, operating in close liaison with the ILO and the United Nations respectively. Formerly it used to have other offices located, among other places, in Vienna, Berlin, Nairobi, Accra, Beirut, Lagos, Tokyo, Singapore, Djakarta, Rio and Santiago.
The organisational structure of the ICFTU is also based on the regional principle. As already mentioned it has three regional organisations: the Asian and Pacific Regional Organisation (APRO); the African Regional Organisation (AFRO); and the Inter-American Regional Organisation of Workers, known as ORIT by the initials in Spanish. The task of the regional organisations is "to deal with problems affecting the workers and trade unions in their respective areas and to further the aims and objectives of the confederation". These regional organisations are to a large extent autonomous. They have their own executive committees, presidents and general secretaries, and hold their own conferences. In addition to the statutory committees mentioned above the ICFTU has a great number of committees and working groups which are mainly set up to deal with specific questions arising from its activities. These committees and working groups have mostly an advisory character. Some of them are jointly established by the ICFTU and the ITS, and in some cases together with the regional organisations. The committees and working groups which are often to be found in the archives are:
- - Women's Committee. Started in 1957 as the ICFTU/ITS Consultative Committee on Women Worker's Questions. In 1984 reorganised and renamed.
- - ICFTU/ITS Working Group on Young Workers' Questions. First set up in 1964 with name ICFTU/ITS Consultative Committee on Youth Questions.
- - ICFTU/ITS Working Party on Multinational Companies. Set up after the resolution of the tenth congress in 1972 calling for a global study on multinational concerns.
- - Working Group on International Trade and Monetary Questions. Prior to the establishment of this working group there were some other committees dealing with the same questions: Committee on Fair Labour Standards in International Trade (1960-1961); Committee on International Trade Questions (1962-1964); Advisory Committee on Trade and Development (1966); and Sub-Committee on Trade and Development (1964-1966).
- - Review Commitee. Set up in 1976 as a sub-committee of the Finance and General Purposes Committee to examine the finances and activities of the ICFTU and to make recommendations and suggestions to the Finance and General Purposes Committee.
- - Project Committee. Established in 1986 to improve the quality of projects and programmes.
- - Human and Trade Union Rights Committee. There are two more committees on human and trade union rights: the Coordinating Committee on Southern Africa, and the Committee for the Defence of Human and Trade Union Rights in Latin America.
- - Committee on Contacts with Communist-controlled Trade Union Organisations.
- - Coordinating Committee on Central and Eastern Europe.
- - ICFTU/ERO Committee on European Social Integration.
- - ICFTU/IFBWW International Housing Committee.
- - Social Policy Working Group.
In the field of trade union publicity, in addition of educational material, the ICFTU publishes regularly the official organ of the confederation Free Labour World (fortnightly). Some other regular publications of the ICFTU are: Economic and Social Bulletin (bi-monthly), which reproduces reports and data on economic and social questions, International Trade Union News (fortnightly) and Feature Service, which are mainly intended for the use of the trade union and general press.
The archives
The main bulk of the archives of the ICFTU was transferred to the International Institute of Social History (IISH) in 1993. Apart from this, smaller parts of the archives had already been received in 1958 and 1990. From 1950 onwards the IISH itself, placed on the ICFTU mailing list and in its capacity as a historical research institute, had been regularly collecting documents (mainly stencilled) of the ICFTU which grew to a considerable amount of material. All these parts are now integrated into a whole.
One's first impression of the ICFTU archives is its extensiveness in terms of both size and content.
The physical extent of the combined ICFTU archive runs to more than 200 metres. The extensiveness applies also to the geographical aspect. As is to be expected from the very fact of being a truly world-wide organisation, the archives of the ICFTU contain documentation concerning the economic, political and trade union situation in all the continents and nearly all the countries of the world.
As to the contents of the archives, it is no exaggeration to say that they embrace almost every fact of life, not only purely trade union matters but also economic, social, cultural, educational and political issues. They comprise documents and correspondence which are a real reflection of the wide ranging activities of the ICFTU. Documents such as agenda, minutes, working papers and reports concerning the congresses and the meetings of the Executive Board, the Sub-Committee, the Finances and General Purposes Committee, and other committees and working groups cast light on every activity level of the ICFTU.
It goes without saying that the arrangement of archives such as these had its own special features. The following points are to be noted in connection with the arranging work:
1. Almost all parts of the ICFTU archives had been already arranged to a certain degree and most of them were provided with a provisional list. The ICFTU had and has its own classification systems; a decimal one for the correspondence being classified in files and a letter code for series such as the incoming and outgoing mail, and the documents relating to congresses, conferences and meetings. There was also a provisional list, made by the IISH, of the material which had been transferred before 1993. Bearing this in mind the new arrangement was made on the basis of two considerations: on the one hand, it was tried to integrate the all above mentioned parts into one whole, according to the practices of the IISH. On the other hand, while doing so, maximum attention was given to avoid making big changes in the existing arrangement, in particular that of the decimal encoded correpondence. These two considerations have resulted in a sort of combination of the ways of classification used by the IISH and ICFTU.
2. Another factor that has a strong influence on the way the archives have been organised is that more than half of the archives (about 130 metres) consists of correspondence, conducted with the affiliates, ITS, international agencies and other organisations. This correspondence, which reflects the main activities of the ICFTU, has been classified in files and integrated in the section 'Particular', beginning with the documents described under the heading 'Relations with International Organisations'. As far as the affiliates are concerned, these files have been arranged by country. They do not only contain correspondence with affiliated organisations but also correspondence by ICFTU officials on these organisation. In the descriptions this is indicated by the use of the prepositions 'with' and 'on'. As already indicated the ICFTU had applied a decimal classification system for this part of the archives and this system is still in use. In view of this and since it is expected new supplements to receive in the future we have kept this part together as much as possible. Only a small part of this correspondence, which is considered to have a general and organisational character, has been moved to the sections or sub-sections concerned, namely to 'General' and 'Organisation'. It should be noticed here that the ICFTU administration classified all incoming mail in files, leaving no separate series of alphabetically or chronologically arranged letters. However, a series of sheets with cross references had been made, referring to the files, to which the letters were transferred. Copies of outgoing mail were also added to the files but nevertheless a separate series of copies had been maintained and classified as outgoing mail and now integrated in the 'General' section. In addition to this a great part of the incoming mail and the outgoing mail was filmed on 16 mm. films, which were also transferred to the IISH and which can also be consulted.
3. As a result of the above mentioned arrangement the documents relating to the regional organisations and many committees can mostly be found in two different places. For instance, documents (mainly printed and stencilled) concerning the meetings of the Women's Committee have been placed under the heading 'Committees, working groups and working parties', while the correspondence concerning the committee is to be found under the heading 'Contacts on Women Workers' Questions'. This does not necessarily mean that there is no correspondence to be found among the documents under the other category and vice versa. More than that, documents of the committees may be also found among the documents concerning conferences and meetings, and also within specific subject files.
4. As regards the classification of the documents relating to the committees, which in the ICFTU were so plentiful, the main criterion which was applied was whether these committees had a governing or an advisory status. Documents relating to the committees which have more or less a governing function and are directed towards the decision making process, such as the Finance and General Purposes Committee, Economic and Social Committee and Constitution Committee, have been placed in the sub-section 'Organisation'. Documents concerning other committees, those which have a more advisory status, such as the Social Policy Working Group or those which are set up to deal with the questions arising from the activities, such as the Human and Trade Union Rights Committee, have been moved to the sub-section 'Committees, working groups and working parties'. But it must be pointed out that the dividing line between what is advisory and what is governing, and which committee is oriented towards the decision making process rather than activities was in some cases a matter of judgement.
5. To avoid having too many sub-divisions it was decided not to use a separate heading for each committee. Instead, various committees were grouped together under all-embracing categories like 'Economic and social policy', 'Education', 'Development cooperation', 'Young workers' questions', 'Women workers' questions', 'Human and trade union rights', etc. Similar headings have been used in grouping the conferences, meetings and workshops.
6. Not only in the arrangement of the committees but also of the other parts of the archives the very same way of using extended headings has been followed. However, within such categories the documents mainly have been arranged according to the principle 'from general to particular', which for example means that documents concerning meetings precede documents concerning specific issues. To avoid too many sub-divisions again, it has been decided not to use separate headings for these documents.
7. The contents and the sort of material are given in rather general descriptions, using expressions such as "correspondence with/on...", "documents concerning...", "financial documents", etc. Because of the immense variety of documents it was almost impossible to describe all the contents of a folder. However, in many cases more information about the contents is given on the folders themselves.
8. Mostly due to mergers many committees and affiliated organisations have undergone considerable changes, including dissolution, replacement by other committees or organisations and change of name. In general each committee or organisation has a separate description. The subsequent changes that occurred have been explained as nota bene whenever relevant information was available.
9. Packing units like folders or boxes were indicated in the descriptions. In large series yet, the indication was not repeated. Only the exceptions (for example a box in a series of folders) were indicated.
10. Most stencilled and printed documents, including circulars and working papers of the committees are in the four official languages of the ICFTU, namely English, French, German and Spanish.
11. Books, periodicals and pamphlets were transferred to the library of the IISH. Posters and photos were stored at the Audiovisual Department where a rich collection of films made for educational and propagandistic purposes is also available.
The size of the archives is 213.24 m.
Notes
1. Consulted literature:
Carew,
Anthony, 'Conflict Within the ICFTU: Anti-Communism and
Anti-Colonialism in the 1950s'. International Review of Social
History 41:2. Cambridge: 1996.
Free Labour World
(ICFTU).
Windmuller, J.P., The International
Trade Union Movement. Deventer: 1980.
2. The archives of the ETUC and its predecessors are also at the IISH, provided with an inventory.
I N V E N T O R Y
GENERAL
Executive Board
- 1-332
-
Minutes, agenda and working
papers of the meetings of the Executive Board. With reports, copies of
resolutions and other related documents.
1949-1992. 25 boxes, 307 folders.
NB. Mostly with a list of the documents.- 251
- 78th meeting. Brussels, 4 November 1981. Including documents of the Preparatory Committee for the Executive Board Special Sitting on Peace, Security and Disarmament. Brussels, 17-18 September 1981.
Sub-Committee (Emergency Committee)
Congress
- 392-462
- Minutes, agenda, lists of delegates and guests and working papers of the congresses of the ICFTU. With reports of the congresses, reports on activities and financial reports. Contains also papers concerning assistance to delegates, nominations forms, congress cards, proposals, committee reports, texts of speeches, resolutions, statements, documents on preliminary arrangements, clippings and other documents. 1949-1992. 65 boxes, 6 folders.
Circulars
Outgoing mail
PARTICULAR
ORGANISATION
Administrative correspondence
Special committees
Constitution
Financial policy
- 786-810
- Minutes, agenda and reports of the meetings of the Finance Sub-Committee. With correspondence, financial reports, auditors' reports, income and expenditure accounts, budgetary proposals and other documents. 1957-1968. 25 folders.
- 811-833
- Minutes, agenda, working papers, reports and verbatim reports of the meetings of the Regional Activities Fund Committee, including correspondence, reports on projects and missions and other documents. With documents of the meeting of the Interim Committee for the Regional Activities Fund. 1951-1960. 23 folders.
- 844-919
- Minutes, agenda, working papers and other documents of the meetings of the International Solidarity Fund Committee, including income and expenditure accounts of the International Solidarity Fund (ISF), financial reports on ISF projects, allocations and requests for allocations. With correspondence. 1957-1968. 72 folders, 4 covers.
- 920
- Correspondence and reports concerning regional activities of some ITS. 1962-1964. With correspondence on the Guide to participation in International Solidarity Fund Projects. 1960-1961. 1 folder.
- 921-1063
-
Minutes, agenda and
working papers of the meetings of the Finance and General Purposes Committee.
With financial reports, programmes and budgetary proposals, affiliation fees,
allocations, requests for allocations, special funds, financial information on
projects and other related documents.
1968-1992. 14 boxes, 129 folders.
- 921-924
- 1st meeting. Brussels, November 1968. With the application of IFPAAW for an allocation. 3 October 1968.
- 974-977
- 24th meeting. Brussels, November 1977. With the list of projects submitted to the NVV for 1978.
Economic and Social Policy
Staff
- 1121-1123
- Personal correspondence of the general secretaries J.H. Oldenbroek and O. Becu on Spain, Europe, Asia, Africa and America. With reports sent to them. 1950-1969. 3 boxes.
Housing and administration
- 1131-1132
- Correspondence concerning the meetings of the General Assembly of the Maison Syndicale Internationale (MSI). With agenda and reports of the meetings. 1964, 1968-1978. 2 folders.
- 1133-1137
- Correspondence concerning the MSI buildings. With related documents. 1950-1974. 5 folders.
- 1138
- Correspondence concerning the discussion of shifting the ICFTU headquarters to Paris. 1958. 1 folder.
- 1139-1140
- Correspondence on the new ICFTU headquarters and the inauguration of the ICFTU building in Brussels in 1963. 1962-1965. 2 folders.
Finance
- 1151-1155
- Correspondence concerning auditors' reports, including correspondence with chartered accountants. With the reports. 1950-1974. 2 boxes, 3 folders.
- 1156-1160
-
Correspondence
relating to the ISF, including reports and documents of ISF meetings.
1956-1974. 1 box, 4 folders.
NB. See also inv.nos. 844-919
- 1161-1165
-
Correspondence
concerning contributions to the ISF.
(1950), 1957-1971. With documents concerning the Relief
Fund.
1950-1954.
1 box, 4 folders.
NB. Alphabetically arranged by country.
Internal information
Regional organisations
Regional secretaries and field representatives
African Regional Organisation (AFRO)
- 1183-1187
- Agenda, working papers and reports of the African Regional Conferences. With other related documents. 1957-1964. 3 folders, 2 covers.
Asian Regional Organisation (ARO)
Regional Executive Board
Circulars and memoranda
Committees
Conferences
- 1236-1250
- Minutes, agenda, reports and working papers of the Asian Regional Conferences. With resolutions, press releases, clippings and other documents. 1951-1976. 15 folders.
- 1251
- Documents concerning the Asian Conference on Trade Union Education. Calcutta, November 1962. 1 cover.
Education
European Regional Organisation (ERO)
NB. See also inv.nos. 2562-2610
Regional Council
Various committees
- 1284-1288
- Minutes, agenda and working papers of the meetings of the Economic Committee. 1951-1963. 2 boxes, 3 folders.
- 1290
- Documents relating to the Trade Union Advisory Committee on the Green Pool. 1952-1953. 1 folder.
- 1292-1294
- Documents concerning the meetings of the ERO Standing Housing Committee. 1952-1956, 1958, 1962, 1964. 3 folders.
- 1297-1300
- Documents concerning the European Advisory Committee on Education. 1952-1965, 1967. 4 folders.
Conferences
- 1307-1316
- Minutes, agenda, reports and working papers of the European regional conferences. With circulars, resolutions, press releases, clippings and other documents. 1950-1964. 10 folders.
- 1317
- Documents concerning the Trade Union Conference for the Revival of the European Idea. 1955. 1 folder.
Summer schools and seminars
Other documents
- 1343-1345
- Reports by Heinz Umrath on housing problems. With correspondence and other documents. 1952-1955. 3 folders.
- 1346-1347
- Correspondence concerning the pamphlet European Labour Movement and Housing, written by H. Umrath. 1953-1954. 2 folders.
COMMITTEES, WORKING GROUPS AND WORKING PARTIES
Economic and social policy
- 1358-1386
- Minutes, agenda, attendance list, reports and working papers of the meetings of the ICFTU/ITS Working Party on Multinational Companies. With texts of proposals and other documents. 1973-1993. 29 folders.
- 1387
- Documents concerning the meeting of the Committee on Fair Labour Standards in International Trade. Geneva. June 1961. 1 folder.
- 1388-1390
-
Documents concerning
the meetings of the Committee on International Trade Questions.
1962-1964. 3 folders.
NB. This committee replaced the Committee on Fair Labour Standards in International Trade.
- 1391-1394
- Documents concerning the meetings of the Sub-Committee on Trade and Development. 1965-1966. 4 folders.
- 1395-1397
- Documents concerning the 1st meeting of the Advisory Committee on Trade and Development. May 1966. 3 folders.
- 1398-1402
- Documents concerning the Working Group on International Trade and Monetary Questions. 1973-1981. 5 folders.
- 1403-1408
- Minutes, working papers and other documents of the meetings of the Committee on Atomic Energy. 1956-1960. 6 folders.
- 1409-1421
- Minutes, agenda, working papers and other documents of the meetings of the ICFTU/ITS Occupational Health, Safety and Environment Working Party. 1986-1992. 13 folders.
- 1422
- Documents of the meeting of the Working Party on Peace, Security and Disarmament held in Washington on 11-12 September 1986. 1983-1986. 1 folder.
- 1423-1424
- Documents of the meeting of the Committee on Peace, Security and Disarmament held in Brussels on 30-31 March 1989. 1989. 2 folders.
- 1425-1432
-
Documents of the
meetings of the ICFTU/ERO Committee on European Social Integration.
1953-1958. 5 folders, 3 covers.
NB. See also inv.nos. 2587-2593
- 1433-1440
- Minutes, agenda and reports of the meetings of the Coordinating Committee on Central and Eastern Europe. With documents concerning assistance programmes and other related documents. 1991-1993. 8 folders.
- 1441-1445
-
Agenda, minutes and
reports of the meetings of the Committee on Contacts with Communist Controlled
Trade Union Organisations. With statements and other related documents on this
subject.
1968-1975.
3 folders, 2 covers.
NB. See also inv.nos. 1885-1891
- 1446-1450
- Minutes, agenda, list of participants and reports of the meetings of the ICFTU/IFBWW International Housing Committee. With other related documents. 1965-1968. With documents concerning the pamphlet The Housing Situation of Low-Income Groups. 1970. 3 folders, 2 covers.
- 1451
- Documents of the 1st meeting of the Committee on International Migration. Geneva, June 1957. Including documents of the meeting of the Sub-Committee on International Migration held in Geneva in October 1957. 1 folder.
- 1452-1454
- Minutes, agenda, reports and other documents of the meetings of the Working Party on Migrant Workers. 1973-1975. 3 folders.
- 1455
- Documents relating to the International Consultative Committee for Professional, Administrative, Commercial and Supervisory Employees. 1950-1953. 1 folder.
- 1460
- Documents relating to the Committee on Review of the United Nations Charter. 1951-1956. 1 folder.
Human and trade union rights
- 1463-1464
- Agenda, attendance list and reports of the 1st meeting of the Human and Trade Union Rights Committee. With country reports and other documents on human and trade union rights violations. Brussels. 26-27 May 1993. 2 folders.
- 1465-1481
- Minutes, agenda, attendance lists and reports of the meetings of the Coordinating Committee on Southern Africa. With assistance programmes and other documents. 1974-1993. 11 folders, 6 covers.
- 1482-1496
- Agenda and documents of the meetings of the Committee for the Defence of Human and Trade Union Rights in Latin America. With country reports. 1979-1992. 15 folders.
- 1497-1498
-
Documents concerning
the Coordinating Committee on Spain.
1967-1969. With correspondence and reports on Spain.
1951-1960. 2 folders.
NB. See also inv.nos. 3036-3037
Education
- 1501-1502
- Documents of the meetings of the Working Party on Trade Union Education. 1974-1975. 2 covers.
Development cooperation
- 1513-1522
- Agenda and documents of the meetings of the Project Committee. With reports on development projects. 1987-1992. 10 folders.
- 1523
- Documents relating to the Standing Working Group for the Coordination of Trade Union Educational Assistance in Developing Countries. 1965-1966. 1 folder.
Women Workers' Questions
- 1527-1593
-
Minutes, agenda,
attendance lists, reports, working papers and other documents of the meetings
of the ICFTU/ITS Consultative Committee on Women Workers' Questions.
1956-1993. 43 folders, 24 covers.
NB. In 1984 this committee was reorganised and henceforth called "ICFTU Women's Committee".- 1527
- 1st meeting. Brussels, May 1957. With documents of the meeting of the Preparatory Committee on Questions Dealing with Women Workers. Brussels, February 1956.
- 1528
- 2nd meeting. Brussels, April 1958. With documents of the 1st meeting of the Sub-Committee on Women Workers' Questions. December 1957.
Young workers' questions
- 1594-1597
- Agenda, attendance lists, reports and other documents of the meetings of the Joint ICFTU/ITS Advisory Committee on Youth Questions. 1952-1967. 4 folders.
CONFERENCES, MEETINGS, SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS
Economic and social policy
- 1619-1624
- Agenda, attendance list and reports of the World Economic Conference of Free Trade Unions held in Geneva on 18-19 March 1959. With correspondence, texts of speeches, statements, clippings and other documents. 1958-1959. 6 folders..
- 1625-1628
- Agenda, attendance list, reports and other documents of the ICFTU World Economic Conference held in Geneva on 24-26 June 1971. 1967-1971. 1 box, 3 folders.
- 1629
- Documents concerning the Western Economic Conference held in Paris on 12-14 January 1960. With correspondence. 1960-1961. 1 folder.
- 1630
- Documents concerning the Conference on Study of Foreign Investments in Underdeveloped Countries. Brussels, 21 October 1958. 1958. 1 folder.
- 1631
- Agenda, programme, working papers and other documents of the Workshop on the Legislative Control of International Investments. Ottawa, 18-20 October 1976. 1 folder.
- 1632
- Programme, working papers and other documents concerning the ICFTU International Workshop on Development. Geneva, 27-29 April 1977. 1977. 1 folder.
- 1633
- Attendance list, programme and statements of the Conference on Trade Union Role in Development. New Delhi, 18-20 March 1981. 1981. 1 folder.
- 1634-1635
- Documents concerning the Conferences on the Peaceful Use of Atomic Energy. 1955-1958. 2 covers.
- 1636
- Documents of the Preparatory Conference on Action for Full Employment. Brussels, 19-20 March 1962. 1 folder.
- 1637-1638
- Documents concerning the Ad Hoc Meeting on the Control of Hazardous Substances. Geneva, 10-11 September 1985. 1984-1985. 2 folders.
- 1639
- Documents of the ICFTU Conference on the Social Dimension of the Reform in Central and Eastern Europe. Vienna, 20-23 September 1990. 1 folder.
- 1640
- Documents of the Trade Union Conference on the Social Dimension of the Reform Process in Hungary. Budapest. 18-19 September 1991. 1 folder.
- 1641
- Documents of the Trade Union Conference on the Social Dimension of the Reform in Romania. Bucharest, 17-19 February 1992. 1 folder.
- 1642
- Documents of the Joint ICFTU/IFBWW Conference "Housing for the Millions". 28-29 October 1964. 1 folder.
- 1643-1644
- Agenda, list of delegates, working papers and resolutions of the World Congress of Professional Employees held in Brussels, 18-21 April 1951. With a report of the congress, messages to the congress, texts of speeches and other documents. 2 folders.
- 1645-1646
- Agenda, attendance list, working papers, statements and other documents of the ICFTU International Non-Manual Workers' Conference. With a report of the conference. Brussels, 3-4 November 1961. 2 folders.
- 1647-1650
- Documents (and correspondence) concerning the International Congresses of Social Tourism. 1956-1964. 1 folder, 3 covers.
- 1651
- Agenda, attendance list and other documents concerning the Trade Union Conference on International Migration. Nervi, 9-11 July 1956. 1955-1956. 1 folder.
- 1652
- Agenda, attendance list, working papers, statements and other documents concerning the World Conference on Migrant and Stateless Workers. Geneva, 3-4 June 1974. 1 folder.
- 1653
- Report of the Conference on Maghreb Migrant Workers in the European Community. Tunis, 18-20 April 1991. 1 folder.
- 1654
- Documents concerning the International Trade Union Conference on Ruhr. Dusseldorf, 22-23 May 1950. 1 folder.
- 1655
- Agenda, reports, resolutions and other documents concerning the Trade Union Conference on NATO Problems. Brussels, 19-21 May 1952. With the supplementary report of the Conference of Experts on NATO Problems held in Brussels on 17-19 March 1952. 1 folder.
- 1656
- Documents concerning the Conference on the London and Paris Agreement. Brussels, 25-26 March 1955. 1 folder.
Human and trade union rights
- 1661-1663
- Documents of the conferences on Spain. 1961-1967. With ICFTU statements on Spain. 1962-1969. 3 covers.
- 1664
- Documents of the International Free Trade Union Conference on Czechoslovakia. 7 September 1968. 1 folder.
- 1665
- Documents of the 2nd ICFTU Workshop on Solidarity with the Chilean Trade Union Movement. Amsterdam, 15-17 December 1975. 1974-1974. 1 folder.
- 1666
- Documents of the Southern Africa Conference. Brussels, 21 September 1976. With a paper on South Africa. 1969. 1 folder.
- 1667
- Documents of the International Free Trade Union Conference in Support of the Independent Black Trade Union Movement in South Africa. London, 6-7 November 1980. 1 folder.
- 1668
- Documents of the Conference "Beating Apartheid and Strengthening the Frontline". Lusaka, 21-23 October 1986. 1 folder.
Education
- 1671
- Minutes, agenda, working papers, reports and other documents concerning the European Conference on Education. 30 October-1 November 1950. 1 folder.
- 1674-1678
- Minutes, agenda, attendance list, preparatory documents, speeches, reports of the working groups, country reports, press releases and other documents concerning the ICFTU World Conference on Education in the Labour Movement. Montreal, 16-25 August 1967. 1966-1968. 1 box, 5 folders.
- 1679-1687
- Programme, notes and texts for lectures and other documents concerning international seminars. With some correspondence. 1952-1962. 9 folders.
- 1688
- Working programme of the ICFTU Tutors' Training Programme. 27 September-4 December 1965. Including agenda of the training course on modern teaching methods and the use of audio-visual techniques held in Denmark, June-July 1975. 1 folder.
Development cooperation
Women workers' questions
Young workers' questions
- 1711-1716
- Documents concerning the international seminars for trade union youth leaders. 1963-1970. 3 folders, 3 covers.
PRESS AND PUBLICITY
- 1719
- Documents concerning the Publications and Publicity Conference. Berlin, 28 June 1952. With the agenda of the seminar on the role of the trade union press in fostering international solidarity, held in Florence on 24-29 October 1976. 1 folder.
- 1720-1722
- Documents concerning the ICFTU/ITS consultation on the perception of trade unionism by the media. 17-19 November 1986. 3 folders.
RELATIONS WITH INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS
International Trade Secretariats (ITS)
- 1752-1758
- Correspondence concerning the ITS and the ICFTU/ITS relations. With circulars, information, reports and other documents on the ITS. 1949-1969. 1 box, 6 folders.
- 1759-1760
- Correspondence concerning the ICFTU/ITS Committee on International Strike Aid. With related documents. 1958. 1958-1959. 2 folders.
- 1761-1764
-
Correspondence
concerning ICFTU/ITS meetings, including correspondence on various meetings of
the ITS. With reports and other related documents.
1961-1974. 1 box, 3 folders.
NB. See also inv.nos. 1658-1660
- 1765-1772
- Correspondence concerning the general conferences of the ITS. With reports, working papers and other related documents. 1949-1957, 1959-1973. 3 boxes, 5 folders.
- 1773-1776
- Correspondence relating to the ITS Liaison Committee. With reports and other related documents. 1952-1959. 4 folders.
- 1777-1787
- Correspondence concerning Liaison Committee meetings. With reports, working papers and related other documents. 1953-1959. 11 folders.
- 1788-1790
- Correspondence concerning contributions to the ITS Liaison Committee. 1952-1961. 3 folders.
- 1791-1792
- Correspondence concerning the membership figures of the ITS. Including questionnaires on the membership of individual ITS. With replies to the questionnaires. 1955-1961. 1 box, 1 folder.
- 1794-1799
-
Correspondence
relating to the International Consultative Committee for Professional,
Administrative, Commercial and Supervisory Employees. Including correspondence
concerning the International Confederation of Intellectual Workers (CITI). With
reports and other documents.
1950-1954.
6 folders.
NB. See also inv.no. 1455
- 1800-1801
- Correspondence concerning the World Congress of Professional Workers. With correspondence concerning the International Non-Manual Workers' Conference. With reports and other documents. 1950-1961. 1 box, 1 folder.
- 1802-1879
-
Correspondence
with/on individual ITS. With related documents.
1950-1975. 29 boxes, 48 folders.
- 1805-1811
- International Federation of Commercial, Clerical and Technical Employees (FIET). 1950-1969. 1 box, 6 folders.
- 1812
-
International
Garment Workers' Federation (IGFW).
1950-1959. 1 folder.
NB. See also inv.nos. 1831-1834
- 1813
- International Federation of Industrial Organisations and General Workers' Union (IFIO-GWU). 1950-1966. 1 box.
- 1814-1817
-
International Federation of Petroleum and Chemical Workers
(IFPCW). 1950-1968,
1973.
3 boxes. 1 folder.
NB. See also inv.nos. 1876-1879
- 1823-1830
- International Federation of Plantation, Agricultural and Allied Workers (IFPAAW). 1950-1975. 8 boxes.
- 1831-1834
-
International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers'
Federation (ITGLWF). 1951-1969. With the Textile Workers' Asian
Regional Organisation (TWARO) conferences.
1966-1974. 4 folders.
NB. See also inv.no. 1812
- 1848
-
United
Hatters, Cap and Military Workers International Union.
1954, 1955. 1 folder.
NB. 2 letters only.
- 1857-1860
-
International Union of Food and Allied Workers'
Associations (IUF). With International Federation of Food
and Drink Workers' Associations (IUFD).
1951-1969. 1 box, 3 folders.
NB. See also inv.nos. 1861 and 1862-1863
- 1861
-
International
Federation of Tobacco Workers (IFTW).
1951-1959. 1 folder.
NB. See also inv.nos. 1857-1860
- 1862-1863
-
International Union of Hotel, Restaurant and Bar Workers
(IUHBW). 1951-1961.
2 folders.
NB. See also inv.nos. 1857-1860
International trade union confederations
World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU)
- 1885-1886
- Correspondence concerning the question of the relations between free trade unions and communist-controlled trade union organisations. With reports and ICFTU circulars on the subject. 1967. 2 folders.
- 1887
-
Correspondence
concerning the meeting on contacts with communist-controlled trade unions. With
reports and other documents.
1970.
1 folder.
NB. See also inv.nos. 1441-1445
- 1888-1891
- Correspondence concerning the problem of visits and exchange of delegates with communist-controlled trade unions. With reports, clippings and other documents. 1959-1973. 4 folders.
International Centre of Free Trade Unionists in Exile (ICFTUE)
- 1901-1906
- Correspondence relating to the International Centre of Free Trade Unionists in Exile (ICFTUE). With financial documents and copies of some publications. 1950-1974. 2 boxes, 4 folders.
United Nations and other international organisations
General
- 1909-1914
- General correspondence. Including statements and reports on UN activities. 1950-1972. 1 box, 5 folders.
- 1915-1919
- Correspondence concerning the UN General Assembly. With reports and other documents. 1950-1974. 2 boxes, 3 folders.
- 1920-1923
-
Correspondence
concerning UN meetings, seminars and conferences. With reports and other
documents.
1966-1971.
4 folders.
NB. See also inv.nos. 1909-1914
United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
General
Commissions
- 1939-1940
- Correspondence concerning the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE). With reports and other related documents. 1950-1973. 1 box, 1 folder.
Trade union and human rights
- 1950-1952
- Correspondence on trade union rights, including correspondence concerning the surveys on trade union rights. With correspondence concerning the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association, reports and other related documents. 1950-1973. 3 folders.
- 1953-1957
-
Correspondence
concerning violations of trade union rights and ICFTU complaints against
violation of trade union rights.
1950-1974. With lists of complaints submitted by the ICFTU.
1950-1965. 4 boxes, 1 folder.
NB. Arranged by countries.
- 1958-1959
- Correspondence concerning the UN Commission for Social Development. With reports. 1950-1974. 2 folders.
- 1960-1964
- Correspondence concerning the the UN Commission on Human Rights. With reports, statements and other related documents. 1950-1974. 2 boxes, 3 folders.
- 1965-1966
-
Correspondence
concerning meetings of the UN Commission on Human Rights. With reports of the
meetings.
1965-1975.
2 folders.
NB. See also inv.nos. 1960-1964
- 1967
- Correspondence concerning the Committee to Combat Soviet Kidnappings, established to exert pressure on an investigation by the UN Commission on Human Rights. 1951-1955. 1 folder.
Women's questions
Disarmament and atomic energy
- 1979-1983
- Correspondence concerning atomic energy, mainly relating to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). With reports, ICFTU statements and resolutions. 1954-1973. 3 boxes, 2 folders.
- 1984-1987
- Correspondence concerning the meetings of the International Atomic Energy Agency. With reports. 1960-1973. 1 box, 3 folders.
- 1988
-
Correspondence
concerning the ICFTU Committee on Atomic Energy and meetings of the committee.
1955-1960. 1 box.
NB. See also inv.nos. 1403-1408
International Labour Organisation (ILO)
- 1996-2001
- Correspondence concerning the activities and structure of the ILO, including correspondence concerning the ICFTU representation in ILO. With ILO documents. 1950-1973. 4 boxes, 2 folders.
- 2002-2031
- Correspondence concerning sessions of the International Labour Conference and other ILO meetings, seminars and conferences. With reports and other related documents. 1951-1976. 15 boxes, 15 folders.
- 2032-2038
- Correspondence concerning the sessions of the ILO Governing Body. Including correspondence concerning meetings of the ICFTU/ILO Workers' Group. With reports. 1950-1973. 3 boxes, 4 folders.
- 2039-2041
- Correspondence with and documents received from the ICFTU Geneva office relating to the ILO Governing Body and other meetings. 1964-1968. 1 box, 2 folders.
- 2042-2043
- Correspondence concerning the 50th anniversary of the ILO. Including correspondence on the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to the ILO. 1969. 2 folders.
- 2047-2050
- Correspondence concerning ILO activities on workers' education. With reports. 1957-1973. 1 box, 3 folders.
- 2051-2052
- Correspondence concerning the ILO Joint Committee for the Public Services. 1964-1972. 2 folders.
- 2053-2054
- Correspondence concerning the ILO Advisory Committee on Salaried Employees and Professional Workers. 1952-1953, 1957-1958. 2 folders.
- 2057
- Correspondence concerning the ratification of ILO Convention 87 by Japan. Including correspondence concerning the Coordination Committee on Trade Union Rights in Japan. With correspondence on visits to Japan. 1955-1966. 1 box.
- 2060-2062
- Correspondence concerning ILO activities in Africa. Including correspondence on the ILO African Advisory Committee. 1958-1971. 3 folders.
- 2063-2064
- Correspondence with/on the International Institute for Labour Studies. 1962-1968. 2 folders.
International monetary questions
- 2073
- Correspondence concerning the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). 1959-1973. 1 folder.
- 2074
- Correspondence concerning the ICFTU circular letter on the review Finance and Development. 1970. 1 folder.
Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO)
- 2083-2088
- General correspondence. Including correspondence concerning meetings of the FAO. With reports and other related documents. 1950-1974. 3 boxes, 3 folders.
- 2089
- Correspondence concerning the 3rd ad hoc consultation between trade unions and the FAO. With reports and other related documents. 1974. 1 folder.
- 2090-2092
- Correspondence concerning the FAO mediterranean development project. 1961-1962. 3 folders.
International trade questions
- 2099
- Correspondence concerning the UN Commission on International Commodity Trade. 1951-1962. 1 folder.
- 2100-2104
- Correspondence concerning the UN conference on trade and development, including correspondence relating to the ICFTU committee on international trade questions. With ICFTU statements on the conference. 1964. 5 folders.
- 2105-2106
-
Correspondence
concerning the ICFTU Sub-Committee on Trade and Development. With reports.
1966-1967. 2 folders.
NB. See also inv.nos. 1391-1394
- 2107
-
Correspondence
concerning the ICFTU Advisory Committee on Trade and Development.
1965-1966. 1 folder.
NB. See also inv.nos. 1395-1397
- 2108-2109
-
Correspondence
concerning the ICFTU Committee on Fair Labour Standards in International Trade.
1959-1961. 2 folders.
NB. See also inv.no. 1387
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)
- 2118-2126
- Correspondence concerning general conferences of the UNESCO. Including correspondence on programme and budget projects. 1950-1970. 2 boxes, 7 folders.
- 2127-2130
- Correspondence concerning the Non-governmental organisations (NGO) in consultative status with UNESCO. 1961-1973. 4 folders.
- 2131-2140
-
Correspondence
concerning the general conferences of the NGOs. Including correspondence
concerning meetings of the NGO Committee. With reports and other documents.
1960-1966. 1 box, 9 folders.
NB. See also inv.nos. 2141-2149
- 2141-2149
- Correspondence concerning other meetings, seminars and conferences of the UNESCO. With reports and other related documents. 1950-1975. 1 box, 8 folders.
- 2150-2151
- Correspondence concerning the adult education and world literacy programme. 1950-1969. 2 boxes.
- 2155-2156
- Correspondence concerning international conferences on public education held in Geneva. 1964, 1965. 2 folders.
- 2160-2161
- Correspondence concerning the ICFTU/UNESCO international workshop on 'ways and means in workers' education'. With reports and other documents. Berg-en-Dal, 1972. 1971-1972. 2 folders.
- 2163
- Correspondence concerning the vacancy for specialists for the UNESCO education department. 1954. 1 folder.
- 2164
- Correspondence concerning the candidature of Martin Bolle for the vacancy for education specialist. 1954-1955. 1 folder.
- 2173-2179
- Correspondence and working papers concerning the UNESCO-ICFTU East-West seminar. Florence, 1959. Including correspondence concerning the questionnaire on this matter. 1979. 7 folders.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Other international organisations
- 2208-2209
- Correspondence with/on the Council of World Organisations Interested in the Handicapped, and with the International Society for Rehabilitation of the Disabled. 1953-1981. 1 box, 1 folder.
- 2210-2213
- Correspondence with/on the Federation of International Associations established in Belgium (FAIB). 1950-1977. 4 folders.
- 2215
- Correspondence with/on the International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA). 1964-1976. 1 box.
- 2216-2218
- Correspondence with/on the Moral Rearmament. Including copies of Infomation Service and New World News. 1950-1957, 1966. 3 boxes.
- 2221-2226
- Correspondence with/on the Union of International Associations (UIA). 1950-1974. 2 boxes, 4 folders.
- 2228-2231
- Correspondence with/on the World Federation of World Federalists. Including correspondence with/on the World Movement for World Government. 1950-1964. 4 folders.
- 2232-2245
-
Correspondence
with/on other international organisations.
1950-1974. 5 boxes, 9 folders.
NB. Arranged alphabetically. Number 2232 contains a list of the related international organisations.
CONTACTS ON ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL POLICY
Economic and social issues
- 2255-2256
- General correspondence concerning economic and social issues. With related documents. 1950-1959. 2 folders.
- 2257
- Correspondence concerning the international action against inflation. 1950. Including correspondence concerning the questionnaire on counter-inflationary policies. 1972. 1 folder.
- 2260-2261
- Correspondence concerning forced labour and the Ad Hoc Committee on Forced Labour. 1950-1963, 1971. 1 box, 1 folder.
- 2262-2264
- Correspondence concerning employment, including correspondence on the World Conference on Employment held in 1973. With statements and reports on employment policies. 1950-1964, 1969-1975, 1977-1978. 1 box, 2 folders.
- 2267-2269
-
Correspondence
concerning working hours.
1956-1962.
3 folders.
NB. Alphabetically arranged.
- 2270
-
Correspondence concerning
working hours.
1960-1962,
1972-1973.
1 folder.
NB. Chronologically arranged.
- 2271-2275
- Correspondence concerning wages and working conditions. Including correspondence concerning studies on equal pay. 1953-1967. 5 folders.
- 2276
- Correspondence concerning family budget. With the ICFTU study on family budget. 1950-1951. 1 folder.
- 2277-2307
- Correspondence concerning questionnaires, surveys and studies on various economic and social issues. 1951-1977. 16 folders, 15 covers.
- 2308-2316
-
Correspondence
concerning world economic conferences. With reports and other documents.
1966-1974. 1 box, 8 folders.
NB. Correspondence alphabetically arranged.
- 2317-2319
-
Correspondence
relating to the Economic and Social Committee. Including correspondence
concerning the meetings of the committee.
1969-1974. 3 folders.
NB. See also inv.nos. 1073-1078
- 2320-2329
-
Correspondence
concerning multinational companies, mainly relating to the ICFTU/ITS Working
Party on Multinational Companies.
1969-1974. 1 box, 9 folders.
NB. See also inv.nos. 1358-1386
- 2330-2335
-
Correspondence
concerning meetings of the ICFTU/ITS Working Party on Multinational Companies.
(
1972-)
1973-1974. 6 folders.
NB. See also inv.nos. 1358-1386
- 2336-2340
-
Correspondence
concerning meetings of the Sub-Committee on Trade and Development.
1965-1967. 5 folders.
NB. See also inv.nos. 1391-1394
- 2341-2345
-
Correspondence
concerning meetings of the Working Group on Cooperatives, Vocational Training
and Other Forms of Economic and Social Action.
1964-1967. 5 folders.
NB. See also inv.nos. 1524-1525
Housing and social security
- 2349-2353
- Correspondence on housing problems. Including correspondence of the ICFTU/IFBWW International Housing Committee. 1950-1974. 4 boxes, 1 folder.
- 2354-2356
-
Correspondence
concerning meetings of the International Housing Committee.
1965-1968. 3 folders.
NB. See also inv.nos. 1446-1450
Migrations and migrant workers
- 2361-2365
- Correspondence on international migration and migrant workers. 1950-1973. 1 box, 4 folders.
- 2366-2367
- Correspondence concerning meetings of the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration. 1954-1959. 2 folders.
- 2368-2369
-
Correspondence
concerning meetings of the Working Party on Migrant Workers. With reports.
1973. 2 folders.
NB. See also inv.nos. 1452-1454
- 2370-2371
- Correspondence concerning the ICFTU conference on international migration. With reports. Nervi, 9-11 July 1956. 1956-1957. 2 folders.
Developing countries
- 2378-2379
- Correspondence concerning the economic and social problems in developing countries. With reports and statements. 1950-1955. 2 folders.
- 2380-2381
- Correspondence concerning the ICFTU study on foreign investments in developing countries. With reports and statements. 1950-1962. 2 folders.
- 2382-2383
-
Correspondence
concerning the ICFTU study on foreign investments in developing countries. With
reports and statements.
1956-1959.
2 folders.
NB. Alphabetically arranged by country.
CONTACTS ON WOMEN WORKERS' QUESTIONS
- 2389-2394
-
Correspondence on women
workers' questions, especially relating to the ICFTU Women's Committee.
1962-1974. 4 boxes, 2 folders.
NB. Arranged alphabetically. See also inv.nos. 2395-2397.
- 2395-2397
-
Correspondence and
documentation on women worker's questions, especially relating to the ICFTU
Women's Committee.
1961-1967.
3 boxes.
NB. Arranged by country. See also inv.nos. 2389-2394.
- 2398-2402
- Correspondence concerning various questionnaires on women workers' questions. 1954-1965. 5 folders.
- 2404-2406
-
Correspondence
concerning international meetings on women workers' questions.
1966-1974. 3 folders.
NB. See also inv.nos. 1971-1978
- 2407-2410
-
Correspondence
concerning meetings of the ITS/ICFTU Consultative Committee on Women Workers'
Questions.
1955-1974.
2 boxes, 2 folders.
NB. See also inv.nos. 1527-1557
- 2411-2415
-
Correspondence
concerning the 3rd World Women's Conference held in
1968. With related documents.
1967-1968. 5 folders.
NB. See also inv.nos. 1701-1702
CONTACTS ON EDUCATION, YOUTH AND PUBLICITY
Education
- 2423-2428
- Correspondence on education and educational activities. With reports. 1950-1975. 1 box, 5 folders.
- 2429-2436
- Correspondence on meetings of committees and working groups on education. 1965-1966. 8 folders.
- 2429-2431
-
Standing Working
Group for the Coordination of Trade Union Educational Assistance in Developing
Countries. 1965-1966.
NB. See also inv.no. 1523
- 2437-2443
- Correspondence concerning the 1st World Conference on Education in the Labour Movement. Montreal, August 1967. With lists of delegates, guests and observers. Also reports of the working groups. 1966-1968. 3 boxes, 4 folders.
Youth
- 2456-2460
-
Correspondence on
youth and youth questions in various countries, mainly relating to the
education and youth department.
1964-1975. 5 folders..
NB. Alphabetically arranged.
- 2461-2463
- Correspondence concerning youth end youth questions. Including copies of circulars on the subject concerned. 1965-1974. 3 folders.
- 2464-2470
-
Correspondence
concerning meetings of the ICFTU/ITS Advisory Committee on Youth Questions.
1963-1967. Including
correspondence on meetings of the Sub-Committee on youth questions. With some
related documents.
1967-1968.
7 folders.
NB. See also inv.nos. 1594-1597
- 2471-2472
-
Correspondence on
meetings of the ICFTU/ITS Working Group on Young Workers' Questions.
1972-1974. 2 folders.
NB. See also inv.nos. 1598-1618
International youth and educational organisations
- 2498-2499
- Correspondence with the International Falcon Movement-Socialist Educational International (IFM-SEI). 1965-1973. 2 folders.
- 2500-2504
- Correspondence with the International Federation of Workers' Educational Associations (IFWEA). 1950-1973. 5 folders.
- 2505-2507
- Correspondence with the International Federation of Workers Travel Associations (IFWTA). Including correspondence and documents relating to the International Bureau of Social Tourism. 1964-1970. 3 folders.
- 2509-2513
- Correspondence with the International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY). 1950-1973. 1 box, 4 folders.
- 2514-2515
-
Correspondence
concerning study courses at Ruskin College.
1956-1965. 2 folders.
NB. Alphabetically arranged.
International Labour Film Institute (ILFI)
- 2527-2538
-
Correspondence
relating to the International Labour Film Institute
(ILFI).
1961-1974.
1 box, 11 folders.
NB. See also inv.nos. 1503-1507
- 2539-2541
- Correspondence concerning the general assembly and board of directors of the ILFI. With related documents. 1963-1970. 3 folders.
- 2542-2543
- Correspondence concerning the International Labour Film Festival. Montreal, August 1967. 1966-1968. 2 folders.
RELATIONS WITH REGIONAL ORGANISATIONS AND AFFILIATES
Europe
General
- 2554
- Correspondence with/on the Trade Union Committee for the European Free Trade Area. 1956-1974. 1 folder.
- 2555
- Correspondence with/on the European Trade Union Organisation of Officials of International Institutions. 1962-1972. 1 folder.
European Regional Organisation (ERO)
- 2562-2568
- General correspondence concerning the ERO. With related documents. 1950-1972. 1 box, 6 folders.
- 2569-2609
- Correspondence concerning European regional conferences and meetings of the ERO Executive Committee. Including correspondence relating to meetings of various committees of ERO, such as Economic Committee, Youth Committee, Education Committee or Housing Committee. With related documents. 1950-1969. 3 boxes, 38 folders.
Offices
- 2611-2614
- Correspondence with the ITS Liaison Office in Geneva. With circulars. 1955-1965. 4 folders.
Trade Union Advisory Committee (TUAC)
European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and its predecessors
- 2639-2641
-
Correspondence with
the European Trade Union Secretariat.
1960-1969. 3 folders.
NB. In 1969 its name has changed to the European Confederation of Free Trade Unions.
- 2642-2643
- Correspondence concerning meetings of the Executive Committee of the European Trade Union Secretariat. 1967-1969. 1 box, 1 folder.
- 2644-2645
- Correspondence with/on the European Confederation of Free Trade Unions. 1969-1972. 2 folders.
- 2646-2649
-
Correspondence
relating to meetings of the Executive Committee of the European
Confederation of Free Trade Unions. Including other meetings. With
related documents.
1969-1972.
1 box, 3 folders.
NB. It was replaced by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) in 1973.