ITUC (The International Trade Union Confederation) is a global workers' organization, but also a peace organization. The FNPR, the largest Russian trade union, has repeatedly reiterated its strong support for the invasion. This was impossible to reconcile with the ITUC's principled support for democracy, human rights and peace, and several unions called for a suspension of FNPR. At a board meeting last week a commission of inquiry was set up with a view to a final decision in the board meeting in mid-May. Yesterday the FNPR suspended itself, probably because it became impossible to maintain their membership in the ITUC with such strong and growing mistrust.
There has long been a heated debate in the International Trade Union Movement (ITUC) after Mikhail V. Shmakov, leader of the Russian Trade Union Confederation (FNPR), praised the "military operation" and backed Putin's analysis of the situation in Ukraine.
Very many members, including the Nordic trade union movement, have reacted to the FNPR's support for Putin and come up with proposals to suspend the FNRP from their international organization. At an extraordinary board meeting in March, it was decided that the organization should conduct a quick review.
Yesterday, according to several sources, Shmakov himself, at an ITUC / PERC meeting (with only European members) announced that the FNPR will suspend itself.
This means that the ITUC will lose around 17 percent of its members, which will have both financial and organizational consequences for the current ITUC management, which is still discussing the way forward after Shmakov left the meeting after the short announcement.
About ITUC:
The International Trade Union Confederation, ITUC, is an association of trade unions from around the world that was founded in 2006. ITUC was a direct result of a merger of the two main associations International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) and World Confederation of Labor (WCL) .
Sharan Burrow has been General Secretary of the ITUC since the organization's second congress in 2010.
The organization's purpose is to promote and defend employees' rights and interests through international cooperation between trade unions, global campaigns and advocacy work aimed at global institutions.
Source: Fri fagbevegelse