Americas
About the International Textile, Garment & Leather Workers' Federation - Americas
Declaration of Principles
The FITTVCC/ORI was born from the need in the American continent for an organisation representing workers in the sector at all levels, particularly at those beyond the reach of national trade union leadership.
Initially, the founders of the FITTVCC/ORI, who were all trade union leaders in the sector from various Latin American and Caribbean countries, corresponded on the idea of creating a Federation that would bring together all workers in the textiles, garment and leather industries. Given the enthusiasm that was generated, an Organising Committee was created to set up a 1st Constituent Congress, which was held on 12 October, 1966 in Cuernavaca, Mexico.
Thirteen countries took part in this event: Colombia, Venezuela, United States, Uruguay, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Chile, Guatemala and Mexico. It was agreed that the emerging organisation would be called Inter American Federation of Textile and Garment Workers (FITITV). Its first headquarters were located in Lima, Peru. Later, from 1968 through 1976, the FITITV’s office was located in Mexico City. The 3rd Congress, held in September 1972 in Bogotá, Colombia, agreed to incorporate the leather sector and the acronym of the organisation was changed from then on to FITITVC (Inter American Federation of Textile, Garment and Leather Workers). In June 1989, the office was moved to Caracas, Venezuela. The 8th Continental Congress, held in Mexico City from 23 to 25 October, 1990, agreed to change the name of the FITITVC to its current name of FITTVCC/ORI (International Textile, Garment, Leather & Shoe Workers’ Federation / Inter American Regional Organization).
The International Textile, Garment, Leather & Shoe Workers’ Federation is the Inter American Regional Organisation of the Brussels-based International Textile, Garment & Leather Workers’ Federation, which brings together 220 affiliated organisations in 110 countries with a combined membership of 10 million workers. It is composed of trade unions of workers in the sector in all of the countries of the American continent, without distinction of nationality, colour, race, sex or religion, that recognise in their Rules the principles and objectives of the ITGLWF, that promote such principles and objectives in their agreements and resolutions and that work resolutely for trade union organisation, education, equality and solidarity of all workers in the sector in all of the countries of the American continent.
For FITTVCC/ORI it is essential:
a. to establish links of fraternal cooperation among all workers in the textile, garment, leather and shoe sectors in the Americas and to raise awareness on partnership between all workers in the sector, without distinction of nationality, colour, race, gender or religion;
b. to establish, promote and maintain free, democratic trade union organisations of workers in the sector in the Americas with the aim of bringing them together in a regional structure that is strong and unbreakable;
c. to protect and improve the economic, social and cultural interest of workers in the sector in all the countries of the continent;
d. to support any national, regional or global action imposed by circumstances in relation to the fight against economic exploitation, and to support the political expression of workers with the aim of improving their conditions and increasing their welfare;
e. to ensure genuine equality for women working in the textile, garment, leather and shoe sectors through their full integration into trade unions and their participation in trade union activities and decision-making at all levels.
Purpose of FITTVCC/ORI
The FITTVCC/ORI was born as a consequence of the persecution and repression to which trade unionists in our sector were exposed in their fight for the freedom and democracy of the Latin American and Caribbean peoples, particularly those that had been oppressed and harassed by the military or dictatorial governments that reigned in the region during the 1960’s and part of the 1970’s. As the result of their struggle to secure peace, democracy and the creation of free trade unions, many of these trade unionists were subject to brutal torture. Others were incarcerated, while some others disappeared and were brutally murdered. In many cases, the perpetrators have not been brought to justice.
The objectives and purposes of regional trade unionism, especially those of FITTVCC/ORI, continue to be what they were in the past, ie the defence of the fundamental rights of all workers in the sector in all respects. However, we are aware that we are living a different time. We are now facing new challenges, new realities of structural changes in the economic, political and social spheres. And these changes reflect more than ever how important continental and global trade union solidarity is to set agreements and common goals for all workers in every corner of the world. With this aim, we have resolved to work in a direction that allows for raising awareness among the members of each one of our affiliates, especially so as to allow for the recognition of how important international mechanisms in the area of human and trade union rights are for workers. For the past ten years, the ITGLWF and its regional organisation FITTVCC/ORI have been promoting the organising, education and representation of new members as fundamental objectives of trade union organisations to set forth their representativeness and legitimacy before employers and governments in the light of the globalisation of international trade and production processes.
Finances
The economic resources to carry out all the activities of the regional organisation FITTVCC/ORI come from the affiliation fees levied by the ITGLWF from its affiliates in the world, including those in the American continent. Consequently, the regional organisation FITTVCC/ORI depends economically on the transfers made periodically by our head office in Brussels, Belgium. Thanks to this contribution, the regional office is able to meet the responsibility of attending to and offering assistance to all of our members in the region of the Americas. Moreover, in order to develop education activities, seminars, and subregional and continental workshops, we also receive contributions from donor organisations which have always showed a strong interest in our projects in the areas of labour and social security, gender issues, trade union structural reforms, labour flexibilisation, free trade zones, human and trade union rights, organisation and community activities, trade and labour rights, etc.
Structure
The International Textile, Garment, Leather & Shoe Workers’ Federation / Inter American Regional Organisation (FITTVCC/ORI) is composed of:
1. The Congress
2. The Executive Committee
3. The Governing Body
4. The Women’s Committee
5. The Secretariat
The Inter American Congress is the supreme authority of the International Textile, Garment, Leather & Shoe Workers’ Federation / Inter American Regional Organisation (FITTVCC/ORI). Upon this Congress, which meets every four years, rests the sovereignty of the organisation, exercised through democratic procedures. It is made up of delegates with right to speak and to vote, selected from among affiliated organisations on the basis of their membership’s composition.
The Executive Committee supervises the work of the Secretariat and the Governing Body; receives the reports on administrative activities and approves or rejects the budgets presented by the General Secretary; designates the Regional General Secretary; decides on the temporary suspension or total removal of the General Secretary; designates, in conjunction with the Governing Body, the Interim General Secretary until the next Congress is held.
The Governing Body makes decisions on the administration regarding the FITTVCC/ORI’s matters; determines the responsibilities incumbent upon the General Secretary and receives the reports on his activities; approves budgets, financial reports and audit reports; fixes the salary and representation expenses of the General Secretary and the other staff of the regional office.
The Womens’ Committee is made up of four Subcommittees, in representation of the organisations affiliated to the FITTVCC/ORI. Its composition reflects the geographic distribution of the Subcommittees in the continent as follows:
a. United States, Canada and English-speaking Caribbean countries
b. Mexico, Central America and Caribbean countries
c. Andean countries
d. Southern Cone countries
For each sub-region, there is a Main Coordinator and a Deputy Coordinator of the Women’s Committee, in representation of the organisations affiliated to the FITTVCC/ORI. The four Subcommittees elect their Main Coordinator so that, on their behalf, she is a member of the Governing Body of the FITTVCC/ORI as one of its Vice Presidents, with the right to speak and to vote. The election of Women’s Subcommittees will be held through women’s assemblies. The term of office is four years, as with those of the rest of the FITTVCC/ORI’s decision-making bodies.
The Secretariat The headquarters of the FITTVCC/ORI’s Secretariat are located in the industrial city of Cagua, Venezuela, at some 80 km from Caracas, the capital city.
Please, send your correspondence to our street address:
FITTVCC/ORI
Av. Bolívar Este
Sector La Barraca
Edif. Pacífico Motors
Piso 4, Ofic. 4-1
Maracay 2103
Edo. Aragua, Venezuela
Phone: (+58 243) 237.19.42
Fax: (+58 243) 237.19.42
e-mail: mailto:launidadsind@cantv.net
From this office, the FITTVCC/ORI operates in coordination with its President: Mr Manuel Pedreira ( ) (Argentina), its Vice presidents: Ms Eunice Cabral (Brazil), Ms Noemí Menéndez (Argentina), Ms Mayra Jiménez (Dominican Republic), Mr Miguel Ángel Tapia (Mexico), Mr Marco Insuasti (Ecuador), its Executive Directors, and its General Secretary: Mr José Ramírez, together with the regional office staff.
