ITUC General Council Meeting, March 11 2023

The ITUC General Council met on Saturday 11 March to consider the report of the Special Commission established by the General Council in January to investigate the circumstances surrounding the allegations against Luca Visentini, and other matters including ITUC financial rules and procedures, conduct of elections and related issues, as well as the outcomes of an external audit related to this.

The report of the Special Commission and the external auditors report were unanimously adopted by the Council in full. The Commission found no evidence of donations from either Qatar or Morocco influencing the ITUC’s policies or programmes.

The meeting decided that Luca Visentini no longer had the confidence of the General Council as ITUC General Secretary.

The Council decided to organise an extraordinary ITUC World Congress, as soon as practicable. That Congress will elect a new General Secretary.

A further General Council meeting will take place at the beginning of May to appoint an Acting General Secretary who will organise the extraordinary Congress. In the interim, political leadership will be exercised by the ITUC President and Deputy Presidents, and daily management by Deputy General Secretary Owen Tudor in close cooperation with them.

The General Council also decided to establish ad-hoc Working Groups, to examine possible amendments to the ITUC Constitution, on the financing of campaigns for ITUC leadership elections, and on financial compliance. These Working Groups will be tasked with bringing back recommendations to the Council, to address findings of the Special Commission and the external audit that there were substantial deficits in these areas. The Council will then consider which changes to the ITUC’s Constitution, rules and procedures need to be made, with relevant changes submitted to the next ITUC World Congress for adoption. Meetings of the ITUC Executive Bureau in May and of the General Council on 10 June will prepare the relevant proposals for decision at the Congress.

The Council also adopted a recommendation from the Special Commission to establish a clear anti-corruption policy and code of conduct.

“The events of the past few months have caused significant damage to the ITUC’s reputation. Important lessons have been learned and the General Council reiterated the ITUC’s absolute opposition to corruption in any form. It decided on key steps to be taken through new and reinforced rules and processes. We are determined to protect the ITUC from any form of improper influence, or indeed the appearance of such influence. We will work intensively to make the necessary changes as we continue to fight for workers’ rights, social justice and equality in every part of the world,” said ITUC President Akiko Gono.