Onlines
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Leadership of new trade union international ready for business
INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION (ITUC)
ITUC OnLine 006/021106 Leadership of new trade union international ready for business Vienna, November 3, 2006 (ITUC OnLine): Guy Ryder has been elected General Secretary of the ITUC on the 3rd and final day of its Founding Congress. Congress also elected a 70 person Governing Council, with an additional 8 seats being reserved for youth and women’s representatives. Commenting on his election and with the leadership team in place, Guy Ryder said today: “I am honoured by the confidence placed in me by the delegates of the Congress in entrusting me with this position. Tomorrow we start the work of the new international with a renewed optimism and hope, knowing that we are stronger, not just in numbers but in the diversity that that we bring together”. “In founding the ITUC we have recognized that if we are to fulfill the promise of improving people’s lives, we have no choice but to change. The word solidarity has never had as much meaning and importance as now. And practical solidarity, in the form of international campaigning and organizing is what we intend to deliver.” “The challenges are many but we will not shirk from them. We will tackle those employers who exploit workers, those governments who deny their people the right to organize and we will take action to bring about a world in which decent work is not just a distant dream, but the reality of people’s lives.”
To read Guy Ryder’s acceptance speech to the ITUC Founding Congress go to http://www.ituc-csi.org/spip.php?rubrique79&lang=en. The list of office bearers that will be put forward includes: President Sharan Burrow, ACTU Australia Deputy General Secretary Mamounata Cisse Deputy General Secretary Jaap Wienen Deputy President Michael Sommer, DGB, Germany Deputy President Luc Cortebeeck, CSC, Belgium
For more information contact the ITUC Press Department on: +43 (0) 664 593 6190.
Guy Ryder – Biography Born: 3 January 1956. Education: MA. Social and Political Sciences, University of Cambridge. Work history: 1981-85: Assistant International Department - Trade Union Congress, UK. 1985-88: Secretary, Industry Trade Section - International Federation Of Commercial, Clerical, Professional and Technical Employees, Geneva. 1988-98: Assistant Director, then Director - ICFTU, Geneva office. 1998-99: Director Bureau for Workers’ Activities - International Labour Office (ILO), Geneva. 1999-2001: Director, Office of the Director-General - International Labour Office (ILO), Geneva. 1 February 2002- October 31, 2006: General Secretary - ICFTU. Created on November 1, the ITUC represents 168 million workers in 154 countries and territories and has 306 national affiliates. The new website of the organization is: http://www.ituc-csi.org
3/11/2006