International Secretariat of National Trade Union Centres
Encyclopedia
International Secretariat of National Trade Union Centres (often just referred to as the 'International Secretariat'), later renamed the International Federation of Trade Unions, was an international consultative body of trade union
s. Founded in 1901, it broke apart and became defunct during the First World War.
ISNTUC was founded in Copenhagen
, Denmark
, on August 21, 1901. Founding members of the new International Secretariat were the German, French, British, Belgian, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian and Finnish trade union centres. Together the founding organizations had a combined membership of 1 168 000.
The idea to build an international trade union structure had been a proposal of the Danish union
president Jens Jensen
. In 1900 the British General Federation of Trade Unions
leader Isaac Michel supported the idea, whilst the leader of the German Generalkommission der Gewerkschaften Deutschlands (which had one million members at the time) Carl Legien
pledged to provide financial and administrative support to the new international organization.
Parallel to the ISNTUC were various International Trade Secretariats, most of them based in Germany and, like the ISNTUC, dependent on support from the German unions.
In 1903 Legien became Secretary of ISNTUC and the headquarters of the organization was moved to Berlin
.
. The majority within ISNTUC, led by the German trade unions, were firmly Social Democratic
and emphasized the need to leave the political affairs to the political international. However, this subordination was not uncontroversial. The French Confédération générale du travail
(CGT) adhered to the syndicalist
line and harshly criticized the lack of independent political advocacy of ISNTUC. This dispute was notable both at the 1907 (Stuttgart
) and 1910 (Copenhagen) congresses of ISNTUC. CGT withdrew from ISNTUC in 1905 and returned in 1909.
But there was also a third category of organizations in the ISNTUC apart from the syndicalists and Social Democrats, namely politically non-aligned neutral union centres, like the American Federation of Labor
and the British GFTU. The CGT and AFL, albeit for politically different reasons, sought to distance the ISNTUC from the Second International and give ISNTUC more of a coordinating role. Whilst the German unions were unwilling to accept any real changes in the character of the organization, they were able to accommodate the CGT and AFL in symbolic gestures. At the 1913 Zurich
congress of ISNTUC the name of the organization was changed to International Federation of Trade Unions.
When the war broke out, the foreign staff left and the publication of the IFTU organ Correspondence Syndicale ceased.
IFTU was divided into Allied, German and neutral camps. The trade unions in the Allied countries demanded that the IFTU secretariat be moved out of Germany. Legien tried to appease this demand by setting up a liaison office in Amsterdam
, in cooperation with the NVV
leader Jan Oudegeest. This did not please the French and British unions, however. In July 1916 a trade union conference was held in Leeds
, which decided to set up a Correspondence Office in Paris
, under the supervision of Léon Jouhaux
.
was reconstituted at a conference in Berne
.
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s. Founded in 1901, it broke apart and became defunct during the First World War.
Founding
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, on August 21, 1901. Founding members of the new International Secretariat were the German, French, British, Belgian, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian and Finnish trade union centres. Together the founding organizations had a combined membership of 1 168 000.
The idea to build an international trade union structure had been a proposal of the Danish union
Danish Confederation of Trade Unions
LO, The Danish Confederation of Trade Unions was founded in 1898 and is an umbrella organisation for 18 Danish trade unions....
president Jens Jensen
Jens Jensen (trade unionist)
Jens Jensen was a Danish trade unionist and Social Democratic politician. Jensen was a painter by profession. In 1879 he moved to Copenhagen. In 1883 was became the president of the Painters' Trade Union, and in 1898 he was one of the main founders of the United Trade Unions. Jensen was elected...
. In 1900 the British General Federation of Trade Unions
General Federation of Trade Unions (UK)
The General Federation of Trade Unions is a national trade union centre in the United Kingdom. It has 35 affiliates with a membership of just over 214,000 and describes itself as the "federation for specialist unions".-History:...
leader Isaac Michel supported the idea, whilst the leader of the German Generalkommission der Gewerkschaften Deutschlands (which had one million members at the time) Carl Legien
Carl Legien
Carl Legien was a German unionist, moderate Social Democratic politician and first President of the International Federation of Trade Unions.- Biography :...
pledged to provide financial and administrative support to the new international organization.
Parallel to the ISNTUC were various International Trade Secretariats, most of them based in Germany and, like the ISNTUC, dependent on support from the German unions.
In 1903 Legien became Secretary of ISNTUC and the headquarters of the organization was moved to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
.
Political divisions
The activities of ISNTUC were largely limited to exchanging information between unions and providing support to development of national union federations. Politically, the organization was subordinated to the socialist Second InternationalSecond International
The Second International , the original Socialist International, was an organization of socialist and labour parties formed in Paris on July 14, 1889. At the Paris meeting delegations from 20 countries participated...
. The majority within ISNTUC, led by the German trade unions, were firmly Social Democratic
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
and emphasized the need to leave the political affairs to the political international. However, this subordination was not uncontroversial. The French Confédération générale du travail
Confédération générale du travail
The General Confederation of Labour is a national trade union center, the first of the five major French confederations of trade unions.It is the largest in terms of votes , and second largest in terms of membership numbers.Its membership decreased to 650,000 members in 1995-96 The General...
(CGT) adhered to the syndicalist
Syndicalism
Syndicalism is a type of economic system proposed as a replacement for capitalism and an alternative to state socialism, which uses federations of collectivised trade unions or industrial unions...
line and harshly criticized the lack of independent political advocacy of ISNTUC. This dispute was notable both at the 1907 (Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
) and 1910 (Copenhagen) congresses of ISNTUC. CGT withdrew from ISNTUC in 1905 and returned in 1909.
But there was also a third category of organizations in the ISNTUC apart from the syndicalists and Social Democrats, namely politically non-aligned neutral union centres, like the American Federation of Labor
American Federation of Labor
The American Federation of Labor was one of the first federations of labor unions in the United States. It was founded in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions disaffected from the Knights of Labor, a national labor association. Samuel Gompers was elected president of the Federation at its...
and the British GFTU. The CGT and AFL, albeit for politically different reasons, sought to distance the ISNTUC from the Second International and give ISNTUC more of a coordinating role. Whilst the German unions were unwilling to accept any real changes in the character of the organization, they were able to accommodate the CGT and AFL in symbolic gestures. At the 1913 Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
congress of ISNTUC the name of the organization was changed to International Federation of Trade Unions.
Outbreak of the war
At the time the IFTU was becoming a more well-functioning organization, active in publishing trade union literature. In 1913 the organization had affiliates in 19 countries, with a combined membership of seven million. At the eve of the First World War, the IFTU secretariat in Germany had 12 full-time employees (4 British, 4 Swiss, 2 Germans, 1 American and 1 Danish).When the war broke out, the foreign staff left and the publication of the IFTU organ Correspondence Syndicale ceased.
IFTU was divided into Allied, German and neutral camps. The trade unions in the Allied countries demanded that the IFTU secretariat be moved out of Germany. Legien tried to appease this demand by setting up a liaison office in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, in cooperation with the NVV
Nederlands Verbond van Vakverenigingen
The Nederlands Verbond van Vakverenigingen was a Dutch social-democratic trade union.-History:...
leader Jan Oudegeest. This did not please the French and British unions, however. In July 1916 a trade union conference was held in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, which decided to set up a Correspondence Office in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, under the supervision of Léon Jouhaux
Léon Jouhaux
Léon Jouhaux was a French trade union leader who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1951.Jouhaux's father worked in a match factory in Aubervilliers. His secondary schooling ended when his father's earnings were stopped by a strike. He gained employment at the factory at age sixteen and immediately...
.
Refoundation
In 1919, after the end of the war, a new International Federation of Trade UnionsInternational Federation of Trade Unions
The International Federation of Trade Unions was an international organization of trade unions, existing between 1919 and 1945. IFTU had its roots in the pre-war IFTU....
was reconstituted at a conference in Berne
Berne
The city of Bern or Berne is the Bundesstadt of Switzerland, and, with a population of , the fourth most populous city in Switzerland. The Bern agglomeration, which includes 43 municipalities, has a population of 349,000. The metropolitan area had a population of 660,000 in 2000...
.