GENERAL CONFEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS, GCTU

The General Confederation of Trade Unions is a regional international trade union organisation founded 16 April 1992 on a voluntary basis with the purpose of consolidating trade union actions to protect citizens' social and labour rights and interests, help secure trade unions' rights and guarantees, and strengthen international trade union solidarity.

The GCTU currently affiliates 41 trade union organisations with a total membership of approximately 50 million organised workers.

The General Confederation of Trade Unions is widely recognised at the interstate level in the Commonwealth of Independent states.

It enjoys observer status with the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, and is actively involved in the work of the CIS Economic Council, a number of CIS industrial committees, and other statutory bodies of the Commonwealth.

The GCTU maintains partnership relations with the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly and Integration Committee of the Eurasian Economic Community comprising Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.

The GCTU cooperates with specialised agencies of the United Nations. It enjoys regional status for Europe with the International Labour Organisation and consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council, and is associated with the UN Department of Public Information.

The supreme authority of the General Confederation of Trade Unions is the Congress held every five years.

The 6th GCTU Congress took place in Moscow 14 September 2007.

The Congress amended the GCTU Constitution and the Regulations for the GCTU Control and Auditing Commission, adopted the following documents:

• Guidelines for the Activity of the General Confederation of Trade Unions in 2007-2012;
• Appeal to the Heads of State, Heads of Government and Speakers of Parliaments of the CIS countries concerning the Rate of Minimum Work Remuneration;
• Appeal to the Heads of State, Heads of Government and Chairpersons of Parliaments of the CIS countries “Decent Living Conditions for Pensioners in the CIS Countries”;
• Resolution “On the Rights of Workers and Trade Unions”;
• Resolution “Labour Migration: a New Challenge for Trade Unions in the CIS Countries”;
• Resolution “On the Work with Youth”;
• Resolution “Labour Protection: a Principal Task for Trade Unions in the CIS Countries”;
• Statement on the 30th Anniversary of the Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy

The Congress elected the GCTU Council and the Executive Committee.

The leader of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia Mikhail Shmakov was elected President of the GCTU.

President of the CIS Federation of Timber and Related Industries Workers’ Unions Viktor Karnyushin was elected Vice President of the GCTU.

Vladimir Scherbakov was elected General Secretary of the GCTU.

At its first session held immediately after the congress, the GCTU Council elected Natalia Podshibyakina, Albert Potapov and Valery Yuriev as Deputy General Secretaries of the GCTU, while President of the TUI of Transport and Road Construction Workers Alexander Shurikov was elected Chairman of the Control and Auditing Commission.

The Head Office of the GCTU Executive is situated at:
42, Leninsky Prospekt, 119119, Moscow, Russian Federation

Tel. +7 495 938-01-12; 938-07-74; 938-86-98 (International Dpt.)
Fax +7 495 938-21-55
Web-site: http://www.vkp.ru
E-mail: inter@vkp.ru; mail@vkp.ru

GCTU AFFILIATES AND COMMISSIONS