Building and Wood Workers' International

The Building and Wood Workers International ( BWI ) is a global trade union federation. International Trade Union Confederation this occurs also under the name of Building and Wood Workers' International ( BWI ), International des travailleurs du bâtiment et du bois (IBB ), BTI and ICM.

Organizational structure

The BWI unites 318 member unions from the construction and building materials industry, the timber industry and forestry and related industries, with around 12 million members in 130 countries.

The organization's headquarters is in Geneva. The BWI also has regional offices and project offices in Panama and Malaysia, South Africa, India, Australia, Burkina Faso, Bulgaria, Lebanon, Kenya, South Africa, Russia, Argentina, Peru and Brazil.

For the first President of BHI from the founding congress of the National Chairman of the German IG Bauen -Agrar-Umwelt (IG BAU), Klaus Wiese hill was chosen. For the former Secretary General Secretary General of the IBBH, Anita Normark, was elected. She was the first woman to hold such a position.

On the second BHI Congress in Lille on 9 and 10 December 2009, the leadership was re-assembled. You are now a thing except the re-elected President Klaus Wiesehügel two Deputy Presidents ( Luc van Dessel of the Christian construction wood - union of Belgium ACVBI and Per Olof Sjöö of the Swedish timber trade union GS ) to. As the new Secretary General was first elected to the Philippine citizen Ambet Yuson in the history of the international trade union movement, a trade unionist from a developing country, after Anita Normark decided not to run again for reasons of age.

The national associations of BHI are organized into five regions. At the top of the Europe Region is a regional vice president Vasco Pedrina, the former co-president of the Swiss trade union Unia.

Formation

The BHI was founded on 9 December 2005 by the former affiliates of the International Federation of Building and Wood Workers ( IFBWW ) and the World Federation of Building and Wood Workers ( WFBW ) on a joint World Congress in Buenos Aires.

With the establishment of BHI for the first time succeeded in overcoming the historical division of the international trade union movement in "free" ( unit trade union and social democratic -oriented ) and "Christian" ( affiliated with religious denominations ) unions.

Inclusion of the communist-oriented trade union international of Building and Wood Workers ( UITBB ) in the unification process for BHI did not succeed. Still includes the BHI with the construction and timber industries unions of the French CGT, the Spanish Comisiones Obreras ( CCOO ) and the Italian CGIL and the most ex - communist Bau-/Holzgewerkschaften Central and Eastern Europe, who joined from 1990 onwards the former IBBH were now many former members of the UITBB.

The BHI - creation was an important step in preparation for the merger of similar nature, these associations of trade union confederations, International Confederation of Free Trade Unions ICFTU and WCL World Confederation of Labour, the International Trade Union Confederation.

Objectives and main activities

The BWI is made according to their own specifications for the universal recognition of the rights of employees in the construction and timber industries, sustainable development, women's equality and the protection of migrant workers in these industries as well as for the establishment of a global trade union movement.

It enters et al Framework agreements with multinational companies in their industries and influences international governmental organizations such as the World Bank with the aim of recognition of minimum labor standards of the ILO.

It organizes solidarity among its members and helps educational work in the development of its member unions.

Important activities in recent years have included the use of a global ban on asbestos, the struggle for fair working conditions on construction sites for the World Cup 2010 in South Africa, the use of sustainable forest management in compliance with the minimum social standards, the establishment of several schools for child laborers in developing countries and global solidarity campaigns on behalf of persecuted union activists.

Financing of the BWI

The BWI finances its worldwide activities both from membership fees and project contributions of its member unions as well as by project funds from third parties, such as the German Friedrich -Ebert -Stiftung, the SAH ( Swiss Labour Assistance ) and the Dutch aid organization FNV Mondiaal. Contributions paid by the BHI are graded taking into account the income in different countries. Member unions from industrialized countries pay at time 2, SFr BHI annual fee for each of its members.