THE DOWNFALL OF THE WCL 55

How were the formal decision procedures about the merger with the ICFTU and what happened with the CNV proposal and other alternatives? The first step in the formal debate was put at the 18th of March 2004 when the members of the European Section (an informal gathering of European members, without structure and secretariat) exchanged views on the relations with other international organizations. A final decision would take place in October of the same year. (Activities Report of the European Section, Doc 3, 12.10.2004)

Jaap Wienen as president of the World Federation of Industrial Workers WFIW during the WCL Association Board in Washington in 2000.  Jaap Wienen came from CNV Industrial Workers Trade Union of which he was treasurer. His election as Deputy General Secretary of the WCL was seen by CNV as strengthening the preservation of the WCL. He managed to maintain his function as Deputy General Secretary in the new organization ITUC.

According to the minutes it is Deputy Secretary General Jaap Wienen (former CNV trade union leader) who introduces the debate: “During the ETUC Congress in 2003, ICFTU Secretary general Guy Rider made an appeal to join forces in the trade union world. The difference with earlier approaches is that the aim of the talks would be to build a new organisation (instead of a merger of the WCL into the ICFTU). This appeal was discussed during the WCL Confederal Board in Jakarta, where the political secretariat was given a limited mandate to enter into talks with the ICFTU so as to define the ideas of the ICFTU on a common worldwide approach. On the basis of the dicussions which took place during two meetings, Emlio Gabaglio (former Secretary General of the ETUC) wrote a note which refelects his views on the possible directions of further discussions between the ICFTU and the WCL. This note will be discussed during the WCL Executive Board meeting of March 29 and 30.” 

The opening of the debate is made by CNV staff member Evert-Jan Slootweg who explains the position of CNV. “He reads out the model for cooperation of CNV. The proposed model is meant to be a plus for both existing secretariats (of WCL and ICFTU).” 

Luxembourg LCGB representative Leon Drucker raises some questions about after the merger. “What can be said about the future possibilities of trade unions which share our values? Will cooperation still be possible? Furthermore, how will we explain a possible merger, as we have been stressing the differences in values between the WCL and the ICFTU for years? What will happen with regard to join projects on international level? What will it take to sustain such development cooperation at global level? How will we still be able to identify partners in Africa, Latin America,.(...) As for the national pluralism, it is clearly stated that the identity of the different trade unions should not be questioned.”

Jan Dereymaker of the ACV/CSC international dept. explains the why and how of the merger. He gave 4 reasons for the merger:

1. The appeal of Guy Rider, President of the ICFTU.

2. Some ACV/CSC branch organizations are already affiliated to the ICFTU international branch federations, Global Unions GUFs.

3. The fact that ACV/CSC pays almost 70% of the WCL budget is a weakness of the WCL.

4. What structure is most efficient for the protection for our members?

Other important observations of him are:

- “The time that syndicalism was linked to political parties belongs to the past.”

- “As pluralism is fundamental, this should be a starting point. We should opt for a strong base, a strong 'syndicalisme de base'. Syndicalism should be based on democratic values, and it should be internationalized.

- “A new structure, well balanced from ideological and structural point of view, pluralistic on national level and perhaps on continental level, could be a possible orientation. (…) A foundation may be a good idea to safeguard our identity, but this remains an open question.

Andrej Adamcsik (Solidarnosc, Poland) agrees with the analysis presented by Jan Dereymaeker. He is positive “but admits that he finds himself a bit surprised by the quick progress in the talks with ICFTU.”

Pavel Moutafchiev (Promyana, Bulgaria) believes the merger is necessary because of the globalization. He hopes that the merger will stop the problems with the ICFTU affiliates in his country.

Joseph Thouvenel (CFTC France) is of the opinion that the mandate given in Jakarta has been exceeded. “There should be a balance between material and spiritual dimensions, and these same basic values will not be found within the ICFTU. Furthermore, two voices are better heard than one single voice.”

Bogdan Hossu (Cartel alfa, Rumania) does not agree with Joseph Thouvenel. He proposes a more “flexible mandate” for the Executive Committee and the composition of a work group.

WCT Secretary general Gaston De Lahaye clarifies the position of the World Confederation of Teachers “To the WCT, an important issue was the discussion on the values. As the essence of these values, the identity of the WCT, is reflected in the declaration of principles, this was presented to the colleagues of Education International, who did not have any problems with it. A joint declaration of principles will be drafted, taking into account the identity of the WCT. Pluralism on the national level has been well defined. National agreements can be a side effect of the cooperation, but it does not necessarily have to be so.”

Bart Bruggeman speaking as President of the Dutch solidarity organization CLAT-Netherlands in 1998. Bart Bruggeman became president of the WFIW after the election of Jaap Wienen to WCL Deputy Secretary General. 

Bart Bruggeman (CNV) “supports the viewpoint of his French colleague. There would have been protest during the Confederal Board had Willy Thys indicated that Emilio Gabaglio was going to present the note.” He wonders if there will be organized tendencies or not in the new organization?

Andrey Adamczyk answers that it was agreed in Jakarta that ICFTU and WCL will express their specific values. “A foundation was also mentioned at that occasion.” He defended the note of Gabaglio as “just an element in the debate”.

It was under the guidance of the ACV/CSC Presidents Willy Peirens and Luc Cortebeeck that the WCL became a cofounder of the ITUC and the WCL disappeared from the international trade union history.

After some debate on the role of the Gabaglio note and the status of WCL as a Christian organization, ACV President Luc Cortebeeck, also President of the European Section, summarizes the discussion saying that not everyone agreed on everything and that there is no agreement on the Gabaglio note. He concludes that there is de CNV proposal in which the WCL continues to exist as a separate organization but cooperates with the ICFTU. Others wonder why the ETUC model is not possible on international level. Another important question is how to preserve a certain identity and how the cooperation will be organized in the new organization?

So it was decided that at the European Section of October 2004 a formal decision will be taken on how to proceed with the merger. The next step would be a formal decision taken by the Confederal Board, and after that a World Congress to ratify the decision taken (November 2005 in Houffalize, Belgium). For decision taking at the European Section, the Executive Committee presented at the October meeting 2004 the document “Recommendation by the Executive Committee to the Confederal Board“ with an introduction and annexes:

Annex I. “Proposal of a decision to be submitted to the Confederal Board”.

Annex II. “Elements that have emanated from the informal dialogue

1. Outline of a new international trade union confederation.

Annex III. “Elements that have emanated from the informal dialogue

2. First draft of the basic principles for a new international trade union confederation.

The CNV proposal was only worked out for Europe. The proposal had not a chance. It was presented to late and without to few convincing power.

Al these papers have already been spoken of in foregoing blogs. What remains is “Annex IV. Alternative CNV proposal.” In a note attached to the annex, CNV President Doekle Terpstra writes that “a CNV working group has been discussing the future of the WCL and possible more intense co-operation between the WCL and the ICFTU for the last month. The working group has presented a proposal to the Executive Board of the CNV, which has been approved unanimously on the 15th of March 2004.”

CNV was one of the founders of WCL and had a long tradition of supporting WCL. Here we see on the first row, third from left Arie Hordijk, who dedicated a lot of his time as Secretary General of CNV to the WCL. At the end of his CNV career he became President of EZA (European centre for Workers)

Instead of a merger, the CNV had worked out the idea of closer cooperation between the two international organizations by introducing a so-called “World Level Secretariat”. This secretariat had to coordinate the common activities of WCL, ICFTU, the International Trade Federations of both sides and TUAC. Meanwhile, both WCL and ICFTU would maintain their own secretariats, as well as the other organizations involved. The reason for this more elaborated model for cooperation was that CNV wanted to maintain by all means the WCL as an independent, autonomous world organization for the sake of international trade union pluralism and identity bound trade unionism.

But unfortunately we must conclude that the CNV proposal had no real chance. ACV/CSC had prepared already for a long time the merger with ICFTU. It was just waiting for the right moment and the right ICFTU leadership. It seemed that the CNV leadership was overtaken by the events. The presentation of the proposal itself was somewhat amateurish, clumsy and naive. Even at the meetings itself, none of the CNV confederal leadership was present. Also unconvincing was the lack of any kind of financial outline for the proposal.

Such a financial outline could have given rise to a thorough discussion on the financial priorities of the WCL. During many years before, there have been lengthy debates on the affiliation fees but without result. In particular the continents tried to escape time after time from an increase of contributions. It seemed that they saw the WCL mainly as a one-direction road for international solidarity. The other side of the problem, that is to bring political priorities in accordance with financial possibilities, was never well debated. This should have been an important task set for the treasurer and the financial commission of the WCL. One of the reasons this debate was never really implemented, because ACV / CSC was always ready in one way or another to absorb the budget deficits. Therefore ACV / CSC had become far away the biggest sponsor of WCL This was apparently taken for granted by the other members.

In 1992 a delegation of the CNV Trade Union for Industrial Workers visited Paraguay and Brazil. From left to right: Doekle Terpstra, Wim van der Jagt( treasurer), Pedro Parra and Frits Hanko (persident). Shortly after this trip Doekle Terpstra became president of the trade union. From 1999 until 2005 he was President of the CNV Confederation. Under his presidency CNV could not prevent the WCL was merged with the ICFTU into the ITUC.

Such a debate would also have made clear that the merger proposal was related to the fact that also ICFTU and its International Trade Secretariats were in need of money because of losing members. Such a debate was and is avoided in all trade unions world wide but this is what happens. Trade Unions worldwide are losing members and therefore money and this makes it more difficult to maintain heavy bureaucratic structures and costly international formal and informal meetings. During the merger talks this point came up but only as a formal point not as as a real point of debate. Talks were all about unity because of globalization and the ongoing neoliberal policies worldwide.

Another alternative would have been to agree with the merger under the condition that former WCL members within the new international organization could make their own groupe, fraction, platform or tendency. This model exists for example in the Austrian trade union confederation ÖGB with the formal groupings of socialist, christian and communist members. It is not an easy model to handle because it requires a fundamental democratic attitude and respect towards minorities. But such a model would have been a very good example of democracy on international level.

But the WCL leadership talked only vaguely about “identity guarantees” in the new organization: “The setting up of an appropriate instrument, internal to the new confederation open to all must make it possible to preserve the heritage of the WCL” (introduction to the “Recommendation by the Executive Committee to the Confederal Board) In annex II we read the following about this question: “The WCL is however the heir of an historical component of the trade union movement rooted into spiritual values and vision. To recognize this unique reality and to preserve its influence a Foundation could be created, within the organization, and whose cultural and education activities could be benefitting to all interested partners.” As in previous debates those proposals were unclear and vague and as a result they disappeared from the merger- agenda.

The result of the inadequate presentation of alternatives was that the debate was ultimately limited to the question "for or against the merger." Polish Solidarnosc was for the merger talks. The Luxembourg LCGB rejected the CNV proposal and supported the merger. The Maltese CMTU supported the CNV proposal. The Spanish USO supported the merger proposal. The French CFTC supported the CNV proposal because of the importance of the spiritual dimensions in trade union action. NKOS (Slovakia) supported the CNV proposal. The Hungarian Munkastanscok explained that their affiliation to WCL was a well conscious choice because they did not want to sit together with ex-communist organizations even not after the more than ten years. In their view the ex communist trade unions want to maintain their monopoly. The Lithuanian confederation LDF spoke more or less the same words. Bask ELA/STV supported the merger like the Rumanian Cartel alfa confederation. ACV/CSC of course supported the merger. Serbian CATUS supports the merger as an answer to the globalization. Others (Bulgaria and Cyprus) express their doubts regarding the merger but recognize the presented documents as very valuable. The Austrian FCG has its doubts. The Ukranian VOST expressed strong doubts about the merger.

President Luc Cortebeeck summarized the problems and concluded that a majority of the members wanted to continue the negotiations of WCL with the ICFTU. From then on the train was on the rails and nobody could stop him anymore. Alea iacte est.

THE DOWNFALL OF THE WCL 54

Emilio Gabaglio, as one of the architects of the ITUC because of his role as 
a mediator between WCL and the ICFTU and promotor of unity,
was one of the very important speakers
at the ITUC founding congress in Vienna 2006.

Because of the lack of coordination between the WCL Secretariat and the International Trade Federations, 4 of them ( WFCW, INFEDOP, FIOST and IFTC) decided to write “an open letter”(July 2005)  (also in Germen, Dutch, Spanish and French) to the WCL, as to put pressure on the Secretariat, to negotiate with more conviction and firmness about the position of the ITF's. They prepared also a “Declaration of WCL Trade Action” (also in 5 languages) to be presented during the WCL Congress in November 2005 in Belgium.

 President Fritz Neugebauer (Austria) signed on behalf of INFEDOP/EUROFEDOP
both the letter and the resolution. INFEDOP./EUROFEDOP  is one of the 
two former WCL  International Trade Federations that dit not merge with the 
ICFTU oriented International Trade Secretariat PSI.

“Millions of workers will get homeless at trade union level

The two large world trade unions (World Confederation of Labour and International Confederation of Free Trade Unions) have been discussing for months the creation of a new World Organisation. Their intention is inspired by the fact that, in a world that is globalising more and more, workers need a world organisation that can act as a counterforce and can aim for the realisation of a world society in which there is more justice and more solidarity. In this way, the WCL and ICFTU also want to improve the representativeness of the trade union movement worldwide by organising a maximum number of trade union members worldwide.

Until recently, all organisations affiliated to the WCL started from the conviction that trade union pluralism, effectively realised through the operation of at least two world organisations, was the best guarantee to achieve this objective. It was only at the Confederal Board in Casablanca in October 2004 that it was decided to start discussions with the ICFTU, and this on the basis of a number of conditions that had to ensure that the historic values of the WCL would be preserved, respect would be shown for the WCL and its affiliated members and the principle of pluralism would be effectively subscribed to on the ground.

In this context, the confederal board adhered jointly and unanimously to two conditions that were of particular importance for the WCL’s Trade Action : “A dynamic and structural anchored cooperation has to be established between trade action and inter-trade action. A coordination of trade action beside the inter-trade organisation is considered counterproductive.”

This condition was decided by the Confederal Board, because it was the explicit wish of the latter that an operational link would be maintained between the trade union leadership and the action in the sectors and companies, because a world organisation without members who would be able to strengthen the proposed objectives with their support on the ground, misses the capacity to react quickly and effectively, which is the essence of the trade union movement.

According to the reports that have been meanwhile submitted on the course of the negotiations, no progress whatsoever has been made in this respect.

The idea of a “GUFs Council” is also considered insufficient in this respect, the more so because internal documents have shown that the ICFTU and WCL would have agreed that for each sectoral working field only one professional organisation would be active, and that would be an organisation of the ICFTU family.

“All WCL and ICFTU members have the right to become member of the new organisation.”

This condition was drawn up as a safety net for national and trade organisations that, because of national and professional characteristics, would fall between two chairs.

Apparently, the negotiators reached an agreement about the national organisations, but, as regards the trade organisations, they opted for “one sector one union”, the classical ICFTU option.

You understand that, in this context, the signing organisations (FOUR international organisations out of the eight that are full members of the WCL) cannot agree with this state of affairs.

Millions of workers affiliated to the WCL risk to become thus left without trade union home in the world. The signing organisations have consequently decided to do their utmost to support the attitude they will adopt in this respect. It should be clear that this will show in the first place through their voting attitude at the WCL Congress, where they will demand that all conditions decided by the confederal board in Casablanca should be fulfilled.

Moreover, they are considering the possibility of taking necessary action in the margin of the WCL Congress, with a view to informing public opinion of the consequences unification will have for the representativeness of trade unionism at world level. It should be clear that, if the essential conditions for the trade action are not fulfilled, the organisations will no longer consider themselves bound by the other points submitted.

In the meantime, the signing organisations are working at the development of alternatives to continue their involvement in the interests of their members with firm determination, especially if no further progress is made in the negotiations.”

Signed by Michel Bovy, President FIOST (Transport), Roel Rotshuizen WFCW (Employees), Dirk Uyttenhove IFTC (Textile) and Fritz Neugebauer INFEDOP (public services employees).

At the WCL dissolution congress in Vienna 2006,  President Roel Rotshuizen
rejected the merger between WCL and ICFTU on behalf of the former World federation
of Clerical Workers. The WFCW decided to continue as an 
independent International Trade Union Federation with the new name 
World Organization of Workers WOW.

The following Resolution for Orientation, with insertion of the position of the WCL’s Trade Action, was approved by the WCL Congress, with 169 votes in favour, 18 against and 10 abstentions. Herewith the road is open to the creation of a new world confederation.

The International Trade Federations of WCL respect the decision of the Confederal Board of Casablanca, take note of the present state of affairs in the negotiations between WCL and ICFTU and observe the following:

- The structures of WCL and ICFTU differ with regard to the position of Trade Action.

- The draft Constitution of the new world organisation confirms the importance of the greatest possible degree of cohesion and effectiveness within the international trade union movement and the fact that this has resulted in the intention to establish a structural partnership with the international industry federations, the forms and operating methods of which shall be determined in agreement with them.

The International Trade Federations of WCL welcome the fact that the importance of the greatest possible degree of cohesion between the inter-trade and the trade level of trade union functioning is confirmed and wish to be closely involved in the further concretion of this cohesion, both at the world and at the regional level. All the International Trade Federations of WCL state their will to consult with the Global Union Federations on forms of cooperation.

The International Trade Federations of WCL note that in the meantime consultations between them and the Global Union Federations have started in a large number of sectors.

These consultations are taking place on the basis of the autonomous powers of the organisations involved, just like also decisions on cooperation, in whatever form, shall be made on the basis of autonomy.

For the International Trade Federations of WCL it is an established fact that consultations between them and the Global Union Federations shall be based on mutual respect for the organisations involved and for their affiliates.

We note that in the meantime Global Union Federations and the International Trade Federations of WCL from a number of sectors have concluded agreements that will or can lead to a unification of global as well as of regional structures.

In other sectors, however, it must be pointed out that there is an insufficient basis for constructive consultations and that the structural difficulties or the conditional ties beyond the possibilities of the organisations and, very often, a lack of respect for the International Trade Federations of WCL concerned, and their affiliates impedes further overtures.

This can result in serious obstacles to the effective realisation of the intended structural partnership between the inter-trade and the trade level of the world trade union movement.

WCL can and will indeed not accept that parts of WCL are excluded as a consequence of changing structures.

So, a transitional period, and appropriate transitional measures, will be necessary to give the International Trade Federations of WCL and the Global Union Federations from all the sectors in which this is not or insufficiently the case the opportunity to proceed, with due respect for each other’s structure and members, to constructive consultations on forms of cooperation of their choice, taking into account the global process.

The International Trade Federations of WCL state their will to have these consultations and call on the Global Union Federations to give content to this, jointly with them.

The WCTA calls unanimously upon the Global Unions Federations to deepen the initiated dialogue with the respective International Trade Federations and to start a constructive dialogue with the organisations that are not yet committed and to promote this dialogue on the basis of respect of the organisations, their history, their principles and values, their criteria for political action. The joint International Trade Federations of WCL will periodically evaluate the progress and report on it to the Confederal Board.

The Congress is invited to endorse the above-mention position.

The resolution was signed by Timothée Boko, FEMTAA (Food & Agriculture), Fritz Neugebauer, INFEDOP (Public Services Employees), Dirk Uyttenhove, IFTC (Textile & Clothing), Roel Rotshuizen, WFCW (Employees), Claudio Corries, WCT (Teachers), Michel Bovy, FIOST (Transport), Stefaan Vanthourenhout, FMTCM (Building & Wood), Bart Bruggeman, WFIW (Industrial Workers), Carlos Gaitán, Acción Profesional CLAT (Latin America), Ernesto Verceles,Acción Profesional BATU (Asia), Chrysanthe Koffi Zounnadjala, Acción Profesional ODSTA (Africa), Kalina Grzelak, Women

ILO ONFERENCE 2015: a photographic impression

The ILO Conference is still a lot of paperwork. Participants use every corner to store their papers for the day. (Palais des Nations, Geneva)

This friendly Canadian woman collects signatures against all modern forms of slavery. (Palais des Nations, Geneva)

The ILO message in words and pictures. Words from all around the world and an universal image  as developed by Picasso.  (Palais des Nations, Geneva)

Another important and strong ILO message: decent work for youth. (Palais des Nations, Geneva)

This young and nice woman takes care that only authorized persons enter the conference room. (Palais des Nations, Geneva)

The Palais des Nations with all the conference rooms sometimes resembles a labyrinth. (Palais des Nations, Geneva)

Every day for 10 days hundreds of persons -workers, employers and government representatives - gather in the windowless conference rooms (Palais des Nations, Geneva)

Geneva is also a city for very rich people. (Geneva Center)

Workers use every morning and evening public transport to get to the conference in the Palais des Nations or the ILO building. (Fernay-Voltaire, France)

Full bus in the morning between the French border and the ILO building.

Gallery of former ILO Director Generals who helped to build the institution to what it is today: the only tripartite UN agency that takes care of the Social Dialogue between workers, employers and governments worldwide. (ILO Building, Geneva)

Outside the meeting rooms, the participants read, phone and relax a moment during the long meetings. (ILO Building, Geneva)

Some participants are even worried that they do not infect other participants. (Palais des Nations, Geneva)

The ILO building sometimes gives the impression of a labyrinth in which every corner is used for meeting.

But there is also a time for taking a coffee and a snack and some small talk. (ILO Building, Geneva)

THE DOWNFALL OF THE WCL 53 (trade action)

The Board of the World Federation of Industrial Workers at the 4th WFIW Congress held in Doorn, Netherlands, March 2000. WFIW President Jaap Wienen (in the middle) became after the merger of WCL and ICFTU Deputy Secretary General of the ITUC. Before the merger he was WCL Deputy Secretary General charged with Trade Action. To the right of the photo Leon Vanhaudt, WFIW treasurer. Next to him WFIW Secretary general Fons van Genechten.  On the left of the photo Executive Secretary Piet Nelissen. Next to him WFIW Vice President Carlos Gaitan.

The last and most difficult problem for the WCL was the question about what to do with the International Trade Federations (ITF's) during the merger of the WCL and the ICFTU into a new international organisation? One would expect that Deputy Secretary General Jaap Wienen, charged with Trade Action within the WCL secretariat, together with the Presidents of the ITF's had come to a certain kind of common strategy but this was not so much the case. 

The WCL discussion paper limits itself to conclude that “the WCL and the ICFTU Trade Action structures are quite different.” It says that “the WCL Federations -although autonomous in the management of their sectoral policy – are affiliated to the WCL, pay dues and have the right to vote in the Congress and the Confederal Board. Likewise, a vice-president representing Trade Action is elected by the Congress. He chairs the CTA (Trade Action Committee consisting of the presidents of the ITF's) and the WCTA (the World Trade Action Committee) meetings. Within the General Secretariat, there exists a Deputy Secretary General in charge of coordinating Trade Action and fostering the links between the ITF's and the other WCL departments.” (paragraph 3.1).

“Within the ICFTU, the ITS (International Trade Secretariats) are completely independent. They pay no dues to the ICFTU and have no right to vote within the decision-making bodies, where they do participate as observers. A couple of years ago, an informal agency called Global Unions was created. It frequently gathers ICFTU and ITS representatives in order to foster coordination among them.” (paragraph 3.2) 

They have also an informal coordination agency: the Global Union Federations (GUF's): “The GUF's are powerful organisations (146 million members), both at the political and financial levels. Sometimes they devise their own inter-trade policy, something that is aberrant in an increasingly globalized economy.” (paragraph 3.3)

In the paper it is said that these ITS's“despite their independency, they follow the ICFTU stand.” Therefore it is not surprising that “the affiliation of national trade federations coming from confederations with no international affiliation ( of France's CGT 12 sectors out of 32 are affiliated to the GUF's) often paves the way for ICFTU membership.” (paragraph 3.4).

The World Congress of the World Federation of Building and Woodworkers WFBW was held in Varna, Bulgaria in may 2004 with 77 delegates from 33 different countries all over the world. 

Years ago trade unions of the ACV-CSC and CNV had already left WCL: “after the 1980's, the trade federations of Belgium CSC (metal, employee, food, some transport sectors, culture) and Holland's CNV (food, metal) left the ITF's and joined the ITS, so as to strengthen their actions, especially vis-à-vis multinational companies.” It is very sad to read that “this evolution mainly led to the marginalisation of the WFAFW (WCL's World Federation for Agricultural and Food Workers), which could not afford deploying its action within the agricultural sector, which is a basic activity in developing countries and where male and female workers are particularly exploited.” (note 8 in the paper)

We can conclude that already since the 1980's the WCL was weakened because of the departure of ACV-CSC and CNV trade federations from the ITF's and their affiliation to the ITS. In a broader sense they became part of the ICFTU policy.

Now, the lack of a clear common vision and coordination between WCL and the ITF's led to a certain kind of divide and rule policy by the ITS's. While the WCL negotiated the merger it left its ITF's without real support.

The first ITF that started to negotiate about a possible merger was the World Confederation of Teachers (WCT) that, as far as I know, tried indeed to establish within Education International (EI) a special WTC platform. At the beginning of the negotiations it was told that such an arrangement of a WCT platform within EI was possible but after a while this possibility for whatever reason disappeared. Now, about 10 years later, there is no sign whatsoever on the EI website that there ever existed a WCT.

With the merger talks in the wood and building sector, between the WFBW and the IFBW, happened more or less the same. The core idea was to safeguard the WCL heritage (see The Downfall of the WCL 48) by way of a special foundation within the new world organisation.

Board members of the Latin American Federation of Industrial and Construction Workers FLATIC. From left to right: Domingo Moreyra, Carlos Gaitan (president), Miriam Berlak, Vicente Carrera and Rolando Arias. June 2004.

The WFBW World Congress in Varna, Bulgaria on the 20^th of May 2004 decided to continue with the merger talks. “During the Congress and the seminar it was agreed to continue the process of unity in a new World Sectorial Federation, which allows to participate more strongly at the negotiation tables and agreements with multilateral agencies that impact politics and global economy and multinational companies, who are the ones that impose the economic, productive, and technological conditions of incorporation, investment, employees and consumption. The participation in this United Federation will be based on our identity and participation with the WCL and its regional organisations. Also should be allowed the continuation of national and regional diversity and respect for local particularities.” ( Nueva Epoca, revista de FLATIC, Ano XVIII-No.90, Junio de 2004, page 5)

But there were also some critical remarks made by president Carlos Gaitan of FLATIC (Federacion latinoamericana de Trabajadores de las Industrias y la Construccion): “The procedures onto unity so far has been only European, without sufficient consultation with the other Continents. We believe more participation, information and consultation of the affiliates is essential.” (Nueva Epoca, page 5). The Swiss trade union SYNA represented by treasurer Werner Rindlisbacher was opposed to the merger. 

The BWI website refers to the merger of IFBWW and WFBW. However, a foundation dedicated to the WCL/WFBW heritage does not exist.

“At its World Congress in Buenos Aires, on 9 December 2005, the International Federation of Building and Wood Workers (IFBWW) and the World Federation of Building and Wood Workers (WFBW) created a new global union federation, the Building and Wood Workers' International - BWI. The BWI is the Global Union Federation grouping free and democratic unions with members in the Building, Building Materials, Wood, Forestry and Allied sectors. The BWI groups together around 326 trade unions representing around 12 million members in 130 countries. The Headquarters is in Geneva, Switzerland. Regional Offices and Project Offices are located in Panama and Malaysia, South Africa, India, Burkina Faso, Curaçao, Chile, Kenya, Russia, Peru, Brazil and Thailand.”

The World Federation of Industrial Workers WFIW decided on its World Congress in Dakar, Senegal (July 2005) to start negotiations with the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions ICEM in Brussels. The French CFTC Metal Union and the German CMG Metal Union voted against it. Because the WFIW had no powerful affiliates in terms of money and members like the WFBW with its powerful member ACV-CSC Building and Industries and to a certain extent also CNV Wood and Construction, the negotiations were limited to a collective affiliation.

President Reinhardt Schiller of the German Metal Union CGM together with the CFTC Metal Union refused to support the integration of WFIW in the ICEM. After the merger between WCL and ICFTU the CGM became a member of the World Organization of Workers WOW ( the former World Confederation of Clerical Workers WFCW). Photo taken in Vienna 2012 at the board meeting of the European Organization of WOW 

The German CGM refused the invitation made by WFIW President Bart Bruggeman to be part of this collective affiliation. CGM President Reinhardt Schiller did not believe that it is possible to have a fair cooperation with the socialist trade unions. According to his view, at the start you get some qualified positions but after a few years the majority will go back to business as usual which means that as a minority must follow socialist policies.

The WFIW Board at the Dissolution Congress, June 2007. 

From left to right: Justin Daerden; Carlos Gaitan (Vice-President); Italo Rodomonti (Secretary General); Bart Bruggeman (President); Manfred Warda (ICEM); Achille Dutu and Romuald Nuwopke.

On the website of the International Federation 'Industriall' you find the following text on the WFIW Dissolution Congress:

"The World Federation of Industry Workers (WFIW) held its Dissolution World Congress in Houffalize, Belgium, on 14 June 2007. The 80 participants at this historic meeting, from 25 countries, unanimously took the decision to integrate the WFIW structures into the ICEM, a process which will be finalised at the ICEM's 4th World Congress in November 2007 in Bangkok.

The WFIW is one of the International Trade Federations formerly affiliated to the World Confederation of Labour (WCL), the international trade union confederation which, together with the former ICFTU, recently merged to create the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).

The Dissolution Congress, with ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda present, was just one step in a longer process to prepare the WFIW’s integration into the ICEM.(...) WFIW General Secretary Italo Rodomonti said he strongly believes that “after the integration of the WFIW members into the ICEM, pluralism within the international trade union confederation will form a firm basis for a stronger international trade union federation.” The Dissolution Congress elected Italo Rodomonti, as well as Achille Dutu from Romania, as future ICEM Presidium members. Brazil's Wilson Wanderlei Viera and Alphonse Beya Tshimbu from the Democratic Republic of Congo were elected to become ICEM Executive Committee members."

THE DOWNFALL OF THE WCL 52

The WCL Confederal Board in Milan, Italia, November 5-7 in 1970, 50 years of WCL. The WCL was the oldest international trade union organization in the world. As members of the board we see Secretary general Jean Bruck in the middle. On the left President Nguyen van Tan of BATU, Secretary General Emilo Maspero of CLAT, Marcel Pepin of the Canadian CSDN and WCL Confederal Secretary Carlos Custer (left of Jean Bruck).

The WCL paper about the possible merger of WCL and the ICFTU into a unitarian world organisation identified 4 main problems for WCL:

1. The end of international trade union pluralism must not affect

     national trade union pluralism.

2.What about the balance of power and the internal pluralism?

3. What to do with the WCL heritage?

4. The future of the WCL international trade federations.

1. National trade union pluralism.

While on international level the end of pluralism is accepted, at national level this is not the case. Indeed, no national confederation wants to sacrifice its interests, its (ideological) identity and its history because of the so-called need to strengthen the trade union movement. Therefore in the paper it was considered as vital that the creation of the new unitarian international trade union organisation should not interfere on national level. “The possible creation of a unitary organisation at the international level does not imply national unification. In fact, national policies are the responsibility of national organisations and not of the international organisation. Both within the WCL and the ICFTU, there exist countries where several organisations are affiliated to a single international organisation.” No National Confederations should be excluded from becoming a member of the new organisation. “In Annex II it is clearly stated that the new organisation will be open to all organisations currently affiliated to the iCFTU and the WCL.3 (Paragraph 4.7.)

Another overview of the Confederal Board in Milan. On the left we se Emilio Maspero with his characterisic posture, Carlos Custer and Jean Bruck.

Paragraph 4 from Anex II says: “The new unitarian centre at world level shall be opened to existing ICFTU and WCL affiliates as well as to all national Confederations under the condition of being democratic and independent in principle as well in practice. The new centre will not call into question existing pluralism at national level”.

This was the theory but what happened in practice? A new organization, after all, has its own dynamics, in this case the dynamics of the majority. Pluralims is not a topic for most ICFTU members as we know from the past. The merger did not change this culture. Almost immediately after the creation of the ITUC (2006), the Canadian CTC attacked the Canadian Christian trade union confederation CLAC which was a respected affiliate of WCL, by claiming that it is not a genuine trade union. This meant of course also an attack against the former WCL, that apparently had affiliated no genuine trade unions. The result was an official ITUC inquiry of CLAC. Former WCL affiliates were involved in the investigation (the Belgian ACV / CSC and the former WCL Deputy Secretary General Jaap Wienen, now Deputy Secretary General of the new trade union world centre) had no defense against this attack. Probably they feared a political conflict which as a minority they would loose. The CLAC choose to maintain the honor to themselves and left the ITUC. The result is that from now on in such conflicts former WCL members are politically silenced.

The delegation of the Italian WCL affiliate ACLI at the Confederal Board meeting in Milan of 1970. On the right Emlio Gabaglio, National President of ACLI (see: WCL downfall 49). Shortly after he left ACLI and started to work with the ICFTU. later on he became Secretary General of the European Tarde Union Confederation. During the merger meetings of ICFTU and WCL Gabaglio served as a kind of mediator.

2. The internal balance of power and pluralism.

Every merger has to face the problem, how positions will be distributed between the merging partners, the so-called balance of power between the merging partners. In paragraph 4.7 of the paper the balance of power ratio between WCL-ICFTU is established on about 20/80 “and changing it is not a real possibility.” Apparently the WCL accepted that the internal balance of power was not negotiable. Why not? In any merger it is normal to negotiate this because this is the way to establish what the merger is worth for both partners. Now it appeared that the WCL was not more worth than what was calculated by the ICFTU (the amount of members and no more!). What this means we saw already in the Canadian case and who knows what cases will follow?

Besides this the WCL paper itself is also ambiguous about internal pluralism. On one side one expresses the fear of division because of to much internal pluralism: “Besides, competition like situations are not always positive, except when they can used to foster united action. In these cases, it is also necessary to measure the results obtained in relation to the resources mobilized.” (paragraph 4.7) On the other side one fears bureaucratization. “In a unitarian organisation, danger often lies in the opposite direction: that of working in a bureaucratic way, this stifling the internal dialogue.” (paragraph 4.8)

WCL Secretary general Willy Thys and ICFTU Seceratry general Guy Rider at the ITUC Founding Congress, Vienna 1-3 November 2006. 

3.What to do with the WCL heritage?

In the document it is proposed to create a Foundation to preserve the WCL heritage: “The WCL is however the heir of an historical component of the trade union movement rooted into the spiritual values and vision. To recognise this unique reality and to preserve its influence a Foundation could be created, within the organisation, and whose cultural and education activities could be benefitting to all interested partners.”

However, this Foundation has not been established. The same what happened at the merger of the 2 international federations of building and wood workers (see downfall of the wcl 48). The WCL heritage has not been institutionalized nor in the ITUC nor in the the Buidling and Wood Workers International (BWI). So, it was not a firm point at the negotiations on the creation of the new orld organisation. Probably, it was primarily intended to reassure the critical members.