# International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers' Federation

The International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers' Federation (ITGLWF) was a global union federation. In 2005 it had 217 member organizations in 110 countries, representing a combined membership of over 10 million workers.

## History

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 organizations were preceded by 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 1894 and the International Tailors' Secretariat in 1896.
The organization held a congress every four years, consisting of delegates from the member organisations. The congress established the broad lines of the ITGLWF's policies and actions.
The organisation's headquarters was located in Brussels, Belgium. There were 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.
The ITGLWF worked closely with the International Trade Union Confederation and the other global union federations.
In 2007, the International Federation Textile-Clothing, a former affiliate of the World Confederation of Labour, merged into the ITGLWF. In June 2012 affiliates of ITGLWF joined the new global federation IndustriALL Global Union.

## Affiliates

In 1979, the following unions were affiliated to the federation:
| Union | Country | Affiliated membership |
| Associacion Obrera Textil | Argentina | 280,000 |
| Federacion Argentina de Trabajadores del Cuero y Afines | Argentina | 30,000 |
| Federacion Obrera Nacional de la Industria del Vestido | Argentina | 60,000 |
| Sindicato de Emploeados Textiles de la Industria y Afines | Argentina | 27,000 |
| Union de Cortadores de Confeccion Medidas y Afines | Argentina | 3,800 |
| Australian Textile Workers' Union | Australia | 32,885 |
| Australian Boot Trade Employees' Federation | Australia | 8,648 |
| Clothing and Allied Trades Union of Australia | Australia | 30,000 |
| Union of Textile, Clothing and Leather Workers | Austria | 54,000 |
| Bangladesh Textile Workers' League | Bangladesh | 42,000 |
| North Bengal Handloom Workers' League | Bangladesh | 100,000 |
| General Union | Belgium | 2,511 |
| Union of Clothing Workers and Kindred Trades in Belgium | Belgium | 16,000 |
| Union of Belgian Textile Workers | Belgium | 41,000 |
| Syndicat National des Travailleurs du Textile, Habillement et Cuir | Benin | 350 |
| Sindicato Textil "Texas" | Bolivia | Unknown |
| Sindicato Forno | Bolivia | 600 |
| Sindicato Textil "Estatex" | Bolivia | 250 |
| Federacao dos Trabalhadores nas Industrias de Fiacao e Tecelagem | Brazil | 30,000 |
| Federacao dos Trabalhadores nas Industrias de Fiacao e Tecelagem do Estado de São Paulo | Brazil | 38,000 |
| Federacion de Emploeados Textiles | Chile | 640 |
| Chinese Federation of Labour | Taiwan | 75,122 |
| Union de Trabajadores Textiles de Colombia | Colombia | 16,000 |
| Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Industria del Cuero de Colombia | Colombia | 800 |
| Sindicato de Celanse Colombiana | Colombia | 850 |
| Sindicato de Trabajadores de Manhattan de Colombia | Colombia | 400 |
| Sindicato Nacional de las Industrias Textil, Vestuario y Conexos | Colombia | 600 |
| Sindicato Textil Sedeco-Coltejer | Colombia | 11,000 |
| Sindicato Industrial de Trabajadores Textiles y de la Confeccion | Costa Rica | Unknown |
| Cyprus Industrial and Hotel Employees' Federation | Cyprus | 1,200 |
| Danish Clothing Workers' Union | Denmark | 15,900 |
| Danish Shoemakers' Union | Denmark | 2,650 |
| Danish Textile Workers' Union | Denmark | 16,195 |
| Saddlemakers' and Upholsterers' Union of Denmark | Denmark | 1,100 |
| Federacion de Trabajadores de la Industria Textil, Vestuario y Cuero | Ecuador | 3,520 |
| Textile and Clothing Workers' Union | Finland | 47,512 |
| National Federation of Textiles | France | 20,000 |
| General Federation of Hides and Skins and Clothing | France | 20,000 |
| Leather Union | West Germany | 54,417 |
| Textile and Clothing Union | West Germany | 279,885 |
| Industrial and Commercial Workers' Union | Ghana | 17,500 |
| Northern Carpet Trades Union | United Kingdom | 2,183 |
| National Union of Dyers, Bleachers and Textile Workers | United Kingdom | 58,756 |
| National Union of Hosiery and Knitwear Workers | United Kingdom | 71,626 |
| National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers | United Kingdom | 112,583 |
| Felt Hatters' and Trimmers' Unions of Great Britain | United Kingdom | 1,719 |
| National Union of Footwear, Leather and Allied Trades | United Kingdom | 62,072 |
| Rossendale Union of Boot, Shoe and Slipper Operatives | United Kingdom | 6,107 |
| Amalgamated Textile Workers' Union | United Kingdom | 40,000 |
| Amalgamated Society of Textile Workers and Kindred Trades | United Kingdom | 5,517 |
| Union of Jute, Flax and Kindred Textile Operatives | United Kingdom | 1,740 |
| Association of Scientific, Technical and Managerial Staffs | United Kingdom | 1,000 |
| British Federation of Textile Technicians | United Kingdom | 4,000 |
| Greek Textiles Federation | Greece | 10,000 |
| Federation of Greek Leather Workers | Greece | 5,000 |
| Federacion Nacional de Obreros de la Industria Textil del Vestido y Similares | Guatemala | 3,220 |
| General Workers' Union | Guyana | 240 |
| Sindicato Industrial de Trabajadores del Vestuari | Honduras | 650 |
| Cotton Industry Workers' General Union | Hong Kong | 3,860 |
| Indian National Textile Workers' Federation | India | 415,836 |
| Hind Mazdoor Sabha | India | 92,780 |
| Indian National Leather Workers' Federation | India | 8,155 |
| National Labour Organisation | India | 180,000 |
| Indonesian Textile and Garment Workers' Union | Indonesia | 200,000 |
| Irish Transport and General Workers' Union | Ireland | 20,000 |
| Irish Shoe and Leather Workers' Union | Ireland | 3,500 |
| National Union of Textile, Garment and Leather Workers | Israel | 50,000 |
| Italian Federation of Textile and Clothing Workers | Italy | 120,000 |
| Italian Union of Textile and Clothing Workers | Italy | 50,000 |
| National Workers' Union of Jamaica | Jamaica | Unknown |
| Japan Federation of Textile Workers' Unions | Japan | 473,177 |
| Kenya Shoe and Leather Workers' Union | Kenya | 6,000 |
| Kenya Tailors' and Textile Workers' Union | Kenya | 11,600 |
| Korean National Textile Workers' Union | South Korea | 144,985 |
| Syndicats des Ouvriers et Ouvrières du Tricot du Liban | Lebanon | 300 |
| Confédération des Travailleurs Malgaches | Madagascar | Unknown |
| Johore State Textile and Garment Workers' Union | Malaysia | 3,260 |
| General Workers' Union | Malta | 3,631 |
| Sindicato de Trabajadores de la Industria Textil y Similares | Mexico | 30,000 |
| Sindicato de Trabajadores y Trabajadores de la Industria de la Costura Ciro Mendoza | Mexico | 2,520 |
| Sindicato Textiles Rio Blanco | Mexico | 3,000 |
| Industrial Workers' Union NVV | Netherlands | 7,520 |
| New Zealand Federation Footwear Trade Industrial Association of Workers | New Zealand | 4,500 |
| Nigerian Textile, Garment and General Workers' Union | Nigeria | 24,305 |
| Garment Workers' Union | Norway | 18,236 |
| All-Pakistan Confederation of Labour | Pakistan | 77,963 |
| Federacion de Trabajadores de la Industria Textil del Vestuario y Cuero de Panama | Panama | 680 |
| Federacion de Trabajadores de la Industria Textil del Vestuario y Afines del Paraguay | Paraguay | 3,200 |
| Federacion de Trabajadores en Tejidos del Peru | Peru | 18,000 |
| National Union of Cordage, Garment and Textile Workers | Philippines | 15,000 |
| Rhodesian Tailors' and Garment Workers' Union | Rhodesia | 3,366 |
| United Textile Workers' Union of Rhodesia | Rhodesia | 7,781 |
| United Shoe, Leather and Allied Workers' Union | Rhodesia | 5,145 |
| Pioneer Industries Employees' Union | Singapore | 3,896 |
| Singapore Industrial Labour Organisation | Singapore | 3,038 |
| South African Federation of Leather Trade Unions | South Africa | 30,000 |
| Textile Workers' Industrial Union | South Africa | 4,976 |
| Garment Workers' Union of South Africa | South Africa | 7,954 |
| National Union of Clothing Workers | South Africa | 25,000 |
| Garment Workers' Union of the Western Province | South Africa | 42,000 |
| Garment Workers' Industrial Union | South Africa | 11,000 |
| National Union of Textile Workers | South Africa | 3,500 |
| African Garment Workers' Benefit Fund | South Africa | 1,000 |
| Knitted Fabric Workers' Union | South Africa | 60 |
| Textile Workers' Union | South Africa | 1,000 |
| Saint Lucia Workers' Union | St Lucia | Unknown |
| Fédération des Traveilleurs du Textile, du Vêtements et due Cuir de STV | Spain | 1,000 |
| Federacion del Textil, Confeccion, Cuero y Calzado del Estado Espanol | Spain | 80,000 |
| Swedish Textile, Garment and Leather Workers' Union | Sweden | 53,573 |
| Sveriges Arbetsledereforbund | Sweden | 1,791 |
| Swiss Clothing, Leather and Equipment Workers' Union | Switzerland | 4,370 |
| Union of Textiles, Chemicals and Paper | Switzerland | 4,000 |
| Syndicat des Travailleurs des Industries, réunies du Togo | Togo | 3,000 |
| Union of Commercial and Industrial Workers | Trinidad and Tobago | 4,918 |
| Fédération Générale des Professions Diverses | Tunisia | 30,000 |
| Textile, Knitting and Clothing Workers' Union of Turkey | Turkey | 120,000 |
| Turkish Shoe and Leather Workers' Union | Turkey | 6,000 |
| United Hatters, Cap and Millinery Workers International Union | United States | Unknown |
| Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen of North America | United States | 30,000 |
| International Leather Goods Plastic and Novelty Workers Union | United States | 38,000 |
| United Shoe Workers of America | United States | 44,451 |
| United Textile Workers of America | United States | 20,000 |
| International Ladies Garment Workers Union | United States | 365,346 |
| Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union | United States | 485,000 |
| Federation of Leather, Textile, Shoe and Allied Workers | Upper Volta | 200 |
| Federacion Obrera Nacional de Trabajadores Textiles del Cuero y del Vestuario | Uruguay | Unknown |
| Federacion de Trabajadores de la Industria Textil, Confeccion y sus Similares de Venezuela | Venezuela | 22,000 |

## Leadership
### General Secretaries

    1970: Jack Greenhalgh
    1971: Charles Ford
    1988: Neil Kearney
    2009: Patrick Itschert
    2011: Klaus Priegnitz

### Presidents

    1970: John Newton
    1972: Karl Buschmann
    1980: Harold Gibson
    1984: Karl-Erik Persson
    1988: Berthold Keller
    1992: David Lambert
    1996: Peter Booth
    2004: Manfred Schallmeyer
    2009: Hisanobu Shimada