Our Organisation

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) is the main international trade union organisation, representing the interests of working people worldwide. The ITUC was founded at its inaugural Congress in Vienna, Austria, on 1 - 3 November 2006. It groups together the former affiliates of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) and the World Confederation of Labour (WCL), along with trade union organisations which had no global affiliation. The ICFTU and the WCL dissolved themselves on 31 October 2006, to pave the way for the creation of the ITUC.

The International Trade Union Confederation - Asia Pacific (ITUC-AP), founded on 4 September 2007 in Bangalore, India, with a paying membership of 18.6 million, now represents over 20 million members of 50 national trade union centres from 30 countries in the Asian and Pacific region. The ITUC-AP, as an organic part of the ITUC, strives for social justice and decent work, giving special attention to problems affecting the workers in the region, to further the aims and objectives of the ITUC.

In ensuring the conditions for the enjoyment of universal human rights and effective representation of working women and men in the region, the ITUC-AP, working closely with the Global Union Federations (GUFs), assumes the task of promotion of economic justice, democracy and peace. Combating poverty, exploitation, oppression and inequality is our fundamental areas for trade union action.

The ITUC-AP adheres to the principles of trade union democracy and independence, as set out in its Regional Constitution. It is governed by four-yearly regional conferences, a Regional General Council and a Regional Executive Bureau.