# Global union federation

A global union federation (GUF) is an international federation of national trade unions organizing in specific industry sectors or occupational groups. Historically, such federations in the social democratic tradition described as international trade secretariats (ITS), while those in the Christian democratic tradition described themselves as international trade federations. Equivalent sectoral bodies linked to the World Federation of Trade Unions described themselves as trade union internationals.
Many unions are members of one or more global union federations, relevant to the sectors where they have their members. Individual unions may also be affiliated to a national trade union centre, which in turn can be affiliated to the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) or the WFTU.

## Current federations

| Federation | Acronym | Headquarters | Present |
| Building and Wood Workers' International | BWI | Geneva | 2005 |
| Education International | EI | Brussels | 1992 |
| Federation of International Civil Servants' Associations | FICSA | Geneva | 1952 |
| FIFPro | FIFPro | Hoofddoorp | 1965 |
| IndustriALL Global Union | IndustriAll | Geneva | 2012 |
| International Affiliation of Writers' Guilds | IAWG | Toronto | 1986 |
| International Arts and Entertainment Alliance | IAEA | Brussels | 1997 |
| International Domestic Workers Federation | IDWF | Hong Kong | 2013 |
| International Federation of Actors | FIA | Brussels | 1952 |
| International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations | IFALPA | Montreal | 1948 |
| International Federation of Journalists | IFJ | Brussels | 1926 |
| International Federation of Musicians | FIM | Paris | 1948 |
| International Transport Workers' Federation | ITF | London | 1896 |
| International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations | IUF | Geneva | 1920 |
| Public Services International | PSI | Ferney-Voltaire | 1907 |
| UNI Global Union | UNI | Nyon | 2000 |

## Former secretariats

| Federation | Acronym | Founded | Dissolved | Fate |
| Carpenters' International | | 1903 | 1925 | Merged into IFBWW |
| Communications International | CI | 1920 | 2000 | Merged into UNI |
| International Agitation Commission of Carvers | | 1895 | 1919 | Merged into IUW |
| International Commission for Railwaymen | | 1893 | 1898 | Merged into ITF |
| International Commercial Employees' Secretariat | | 1909 | 1914 | Dissolved |
| International Committee of Entertainment and Media Unions | ICEMU | 1992 | 2000 | Dormant |
| International Confederation of Musicians | ICM | 1904 | 1920s | Dissolved |
| International Federation of Bookbinders and Kindred Trades | | 1907 | 1949 | Merged into IGF |
| International Federation of Bakery Workers | | 1907 | 1920 | Merged into IUF |
| International Federation of Brewery Workers | | 1896 | 1920 | Merged into IUF |
| International Federation of Building and Wood Workers | IFBWW | 1934 | 2005 | Merged into BWI |
| International Federation of Building Workers | IFBW | 1903 | 1934 | Merged into IFBWW |
| International Federation of Chemical and General Workers' Unions | ICEF | 1907 | 1995 | Merged into ICEM |
| International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions | ICEM | 1995 | 2012 | Merged into IndustriALL |
| International Federation of Civil Servants | | 1925 | 1935 | Merged into PSI |
| International Federation of Commercial, Clerical, Professional and Technical Employees | FIET | 1921 | 1999 | Merged into UNI |
| International Federation of Enginemen and Firemen | | 1927 | 1939 | Dissolved |
| International Federation of Foundry Workers | IFF | 1949 | 1954 | Dissolved |
| International Federation of Free Teachers' Unions | IFFTU | 1951 | 1992 | Merged into EI |
| International Federation of Furriers | | 1894 | 1925 | Merged into IGWF |
| International Federation of Glass Workers | | 1908 | 1930s | Dissolved |
| International Federation of Lithographers, Lithographic Printers and Kindred Trades | | 1897 | 1949 | Merged into IGF |
| International Federation of Meat Workers | | 1913 | 1920 | Merged into IUF |
| International Federation of Petroleum and Chemical Workers | IFPCW | 1954 | 1976 | Dissolved |
| International Federation of Plantation and Agricultural Workers | IFPAW | 1960 | 1994 | Merged into IUF |
| International Federation of Pottery Workers | IFPW | 1905 | 1935 | Merged into ICEF |
| International Federation of Saddlers' Unions | | 1906 | 1921 | Merged into the ISLWF |
| International Federation of Secondary Teachers | FIPESO | 1912 | 1993 | Merged into EI |
| International Federation of Teachers' Associations | IFTA | 1926 | 1993 | Merged into EI |
| International Federation of Textile Workers' Associations | IFTWA | 1893 | 1960 | Merged into ITGWF |
| International Federation of Tobacco Workers | IFTW | 1889 | 1958 | Merged into PWIF |
| International Federation of Trade Unions of Audio-Visual Workers | FISTAV | 1974 | 1993 | Merged into MEI |
| International Federation of Variety Artists | IFVA | 1952 | 1970 | Merged into FIA |
| International Garment Workers' Federation | IGWF | 1893 | 1960 | Merged into ITGWF |
| International Graphical Federation | IGF | 1949 | 2000 | Merged into UNI |
| International Landworkers' Federation | ILF | 1920 | 1960 | Merged into IFPAW |
| International Mercantile Marine Officers' Association | IMMOA | 1926 | 1965 | Merged into ITF |
| International Metalworkers' Federation | IMF | 1893 | 2012 | Merged into IndustriALL |
| International Seafarers' Federation | ISF | 1918 | 1930s | Dissolved |
| International Secretariat of Arts, Communications, Media and Entertainment Trade Unions | ISETU | 1965 | 1993 | Merged into MEI |
| International Secretariat of Foundry Workers | | 1898 | 1904 | Merged into IMF |
| International Secretariat of the Glass Workers | IGWU | 1892 | 1900 | Dissolved |
| International Secretariat of Painters and Allied Trades | | 1911 | 1946 | Merged into IFBWW |
| International Secretariat of Potters | | 1907 | 1922 | Merged into IFBW |
| International Secretariat of Stone Workers | | 1903 | 1946 | Merged into IFBWW |
| International Secretariat of Stone Setters | | 1904 | 1923 | Merged into ISSM |
| International Shoe and Leather Workers' Federation | ISLWF | 1907 | 1970 | Merged into ITGLWF |
| International Textile and Garment Workers' Federation | ITGWF | 1960 | 1970 | Merged into ITGLWF |
| International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers' Federation | ITGLWF | 1970 | 2012 | Merged into IndustriALL |
| International Typographers' Secretariat | ITS | 1889 | 1949 | Merged into IGF |
| International Union of Hatters | | 1900 | 1939 | Dissolved |
| International Union of Hairdressers | | 1907 | 1939 | Dissolved |
| International Union of Hotel, Restaurant and Bar Workers | IUHR | 1908 | 1961 | Merged into IUF |
| International Union of Leather Workers | | 1891 | 1921 | Merged into the ISLWF |
| International Union of Wood Workers | IUW | 1904 | 1934 | Merged into IFBWW |
| Media and Entertainment International | MEI | 1993 | 2000 | Merged into UNI |
| Plantation Workers International Federation | PWIF | 1957 | 1960 | Merged into IFPAW |
| Miners' International Federation | MIF | 1890 | 1995 | Merged into ICEM |
| Teachers' International Trade Secretariat | ITST | 1927 | 1946 | Merged into FISE |
| Universal Alliance of Diamond Workers | UADW | 1905 | 2000 | Merged into ICEM |
| World Confederation of Organizations of the Teaching Profession | WCOTP | 1951 | 1992 | Merged into EI |
| World Confederation of Teachers | WCT | 1963 | 2007 | Merged into EI |
| World Federation of Building and Woodworkers' Unions | WFBW | 1937 | 2005 | Merged into BWI |
| World Federation of Industry Workers | WFIW | 1985 | 2007 | Merged into ICEM |
| World Organisation of the Teaching Profession | WOTP | 1923 | 1951 | Merged into WCOTP |