International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF)
Website: http://www.imfmetal.org/
Category: Labour
Year of Foundation: 1893
Location of Foundation: Zurich, Switzerland
Location of Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
Brief Description: The International Metalworkers' Federation describes itself as representing 'the collective interests of 25 million metalworkers from more than 200 unions in 100 countries. The IMF is a federation of national metalworkers' unions - a "union of unions" at world level, and one of the oldest Global Union Federations.' (Source: www.imfmetal.org; accessed 13 April 2010)
Founding Rationales:
At the Zurich congress of 1893, it was resolved: 'There will be established an international information office. Its business is to make communications about the agitations of the workers of the different countries, and to the newspapers, and to the men of confidence of the committees concerned. It has especially to take charge of the manifestoes in cases of strikes. It has also to give notice of national and international propositions of laws for the protection of the working classes to their respective printing offices and men of confidence. It gives any information with regard to professional affairs. ... The periodical report for the information office shall contain ... the number of metalworkers employed in the respective countries ... the number of organised fellow-workers and the manner of organisation ... the average work time ... the average wages ... the course of business ... the state of the professional press ... agitations and their progress ... the state of the manufacturers' organisations and the measures they make use of against metalworkers' comrades.'
Source: International Metalworkers' Federation, 'Short Exposition of its Development from 1893 to 1923 Based on the Proceedings and the Resolutions at the Congresses' (Berne, 1923), p. 4.
Evolution of Membership:
Sources: AVI; HIO; YIO; EAIO