International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Association
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Full name | International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations |
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Founded | 1920 (1889) |
Members | 12 million |
Key people |
Mark Lauritsen, President Sue Longley, General Secretary James Ritchie, Assistant General Secretary |
Office location | Geneva, Switzerland |
Country | International |
Website | www.iuf.org |
The International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF) is a global union federation of trade unions with members in a variety of industries, many of which relate to food processing.
History
The federation was founded in 1920 with the merger of three international organisations, representing bakers, brewers, and meat industry employees. Originally named the International Union of Food and Allied Workers' Associations (IUFAWA), it affiliates were all European until 1950, but it then rapidly expanded worldwide. By 1978, the federation was known as the IUF, and it had 2.1 million members.[1]
During the 1980s, the IUF campaigned against Coca-Cola, which it believed was exploiting plantation workers. In 1994, it merged with the International Federation of Plantation, Agricultural and Allied Workers, and took its present name. From 1997, it began signing collective bargaining agreements with various multinational companies.[1]
Current operations
In 2017, the IUF was composed of 430 member organisations in 130 countries, representing more than 12 million workers.
The organization represents workers employed in agriculture, the preparation and manufacture of food and beverages, hotels, restaurants and catering services and in tobacco processing.
The international headquarters of IUF is located in Geneva, Switzerland. Within the organization, there are autonomous regional organizations for Africa, Asia/Pacific, the Caribbean, Europe and Latin America.
References
External links
- IUF official website
- IUF Facebook page
- IUF Eastern Europe and Central Asia website
- IUF Latin America website
- On the history and policy of the IUF—comprehensive information on the IUF and its predecessors in PDF (3MB): a brief history of the IUF, an interview with Dan Gallin (General Secretary of the IUF 1968-97) and an inventory of records and reports of the IUF and its predecessors in the library of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES).
- Interview with Dan Galin, IUF General Secretary 1968-1997—web version of interview printed in FES history document.