UNI Global Union
Union Network International global union | |
 | |
| Founded | January 1, 2000 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Nyon, Switzerland |
| Location |
|
| Members | 20 million |
Key people | Ruben Cortina, President Christy Hoffman, General Secretary |
| Website | www.uniglobalunion.org |
UNI Global Union, formally Union Network International (UNI), is a global union federation for the skills and services sectors, uniting national and regional trade unions. It has affiliated unions in 150 countries representing 20 million workers. The Global headquarters is in Nyon, Switzerland. As of 2021, UNI Global Union had ratified over 50 Global Framework Agreements with multinational corporations, including ABN AMRO, Carrefour, H&M, DHL, Telefonica, BNP Orange and Banco de Brazil, Inditex Group, and Kimberly Clark among others.[1][2][3]
History
[edit]UNI was the result of the merger of four global union federations: International Federation of Commercial, Clerical, Professional and Technical Employees (FIET), Media and Entertainment International (MEI), International Graphical Federation (IGF), and Communications International (CI). They merged on 1 January 2000, to form Union Network International. On 2 March 2009, the federation changed its name to UNI Global Union.
International Federation of Commercial, Clerical, Professional and Technical Employees (FIET)
[edit]The first attempt to create an international federation of clerical workers was the International Commercial Employees' Secretariat, founded in Hamburg in 1909 and led by Edo Fimmen. This organization collapsed at the start of World War I, leading to the establishment of FIET in 1921 in Vienna. Initially, FIET represented only European unions, but after World War II, it began admitting unions from around the world. By 1994, FIET's membership had reached 11 million. FIET predominantly represented workers in banking, insurance, and clerical staff in commerce and social services. In 1984, the International Secretariat of Entertainment Trade Unions became an autonomous section of FIET.[4][5][6]
Media and Entertainment International (MEI)
[edit]MEI was a global union federation representing workers in the arts, established in 1993 through the merger of the International Secretariat of Arts, Communications, Media and Entertainment Trade Unions and the International Federation of Trade Unions of Audio-Visual Workers. Initially named the International Secretariat for Arts, Mass Media, and Entertainment Trade Unions (ISAMMETU), it was renamed MEI in 1995. MEI campaigned for public service broadcasting and minimum working conditions for freelance film and theatre workers. On 1 January 2000, MEI merged with FIET, IGF, and CI to form Union Network International.[7][8][9]
International Graphical Federation (IGF)
[edit]The IGF was a global union federation for printing workers. Efforts to establish this federation began in 1939, but it was officially founded in 1949 in Stockholm after World War II delayed its formation. The IGF focused on technical developments in the industry and sharing information on industrial disputes and employment standards. The federation operated on a non-political basis and had three boards covering typography, lithography, and bookbinding. By the end of 1999, the IGF merged with FIET, CI, and MEI to form Union Network International.[10][11][12][13][14]