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.
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.[1] In June 2012 affiliates of ITGLWF joined the new global federation IndustriALL Global Union.
In 1979, the following unions were affiliated to the federation:[2]
