ITUC General Council sets 12 October for Extraordinary Congress

The ITUC General Council, meeting in Geneva on 11 June, has approved an extraordinary ITUC World Congress to take place on 12 October.

The Congress, which will be held online, will elect a new ITUC General Secretary and consider a limited number of amendments to the ITUC Constitution.

Following a report by ITUC Acting General Secretary Luc Triangle on activities since he took up the position on 1 May, the Council:

  • Adopted amendments to a draft Integrity and Anti-Corruption Policy and Code of Conduct.
  • Set the basis for rules concerning the conduct of campaigns for the position of ITUC General Secretary
  • Received a progress report on a review of ITUC financial rules and procedures.

For the Extraordinary Congress, the Council established a guideline that candidates should have received nominations from either 10% of the total number of ITUC affiliates or 10% of the ITUC’s membership and it confirmed that there should be no restrictions on who could be eligible to stand as a candidate for the election.

Based on a report from the ITUC Human and Trade Union Rights Committee, the Council discussed developments at the ILO Conference on the right to strike. It re-affirmed the international trade union movement’s support for the independent trade unions in Belarus, where the Lukashenko regime has banned the ITUC-affiliated BKDP and continued an all-out assault on freedom of association and the right to strike.

The Council also expressed full solidarity with the ITUC Ukraine affiliates FPU and KVPU as the illegal and brutal Russian war against Ukraine continues. A progress report on trade union action to support the adoption of the ILO’s 2024/25 Programme and Budget was also discussed.

In addition, the Council adopted a report from the ITUC Women’s Committee that included action to end violence and harassment at work, progress on implementation of the new social contract and particularly its equality and inclusion pillars, as well as on the care economy and equal pay.

The Council honoured the contributions of former FEDUSA South Africa General Secretary Dennis George and AFL-CIO Chief Economist William Spriggs, who passed away on 15 May and 6 June respectively.

“This meeting was a major step forward in addressing crucial governance issues that have arisen since December last year. It provides the basis for an Extraordinary World Congress, which will elect a General Secretary and embed governance reforms that are vital for ensuring that the ITUC is in a position to promote workers’ rights and interests in the most effective and comprehensive way,” said Luc Triangle.

The next General Council meeting will take place online on 7 September.