The International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers' Federation (ITGLWF) is a global union federation. As of 2005, it has 217 member organizations in 110 countries, representing a combined membership of over 10 million workers. A global union federation is an international federation of national and regional trade unions organising in specific industry sectors or occupational groups, sometimes also known as an international trade secretariat. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The ITGLWF was founded in 1970 as a result of the merger of the International Textile and Garment Workers' Federation and the International Shoe and Leather Workers' Federation. These organisations had been preceded by other much older ones: The International Glove Workers' Union was founded in 1892, the International Secretariat of Shoemakers in 1893, and the International Secretariat of Leather Workers in 1896. The International Federation of Textile Workers' Associations originated in 1893 and the International Tailors' Secretariat in 1896.

The organization holds a congress every four years, consisting of delegates from the member organisations. The congress establish the broad lines of the ITGLWF's policies and actions.

The organisation's headquaters is located in Brussels, Belgium. There are four regional organisations within the ITGLWF: FITTVCC/ORI, the Americas' regional organisation, based in Venezuela; ITGLWF/ERO, the European regional organisation, based in Belgium; TWARO, the Asian regional organisation, based in Japan; and ARCC, the African Regional Consultative Council, based in South Africa. Emblem of the Brussels-Capital Region Flag of The City of Brussels Brussels (Dutch: Brussel, French: Bruxelles, German: Brüssel) is the capital of Belgium and is considered by many to be the de facto capital of the European Union, as two of its three main institutions have their headquarters... The word America has several meanings: Geographical and political Americas, the continent which is divided in: North America, Central America and South America. ...

The ITGLWF works closely with the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and the other global union federations. Claiming 157 million members in 225 affiliated organisations in 148 countries and territories, the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) came into being on December 7, 1949 following a split within the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU). ...

External link

• International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers' Federation (http://www.itglwf.org/) official site