European Trade Union Confederation

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is a trade union organization which was established in 1973 to represent workers and their national affiliates at the European level.Its role has increased as European integration has expanded EU influence on economic, employment and social policy throughout the 27 Member States.

At present, the ETUC membership comprises 82 National Trade Union Confederations from a total of 36 European countries, and 12 European industry federations, covering some 60 million individual trade unionists. Other trade Union structures operate under the auspices of the ETUC : EUROCADRES (the Council of European Professional and Managerial Staff) and EFREP/FERPA (European Federation of Retired and Elderly Persons).

The current President, elected in May 2011, is Ignacio Fernández Toxo, Secretary General of CCOO Spain. The General Secretary is Bernadette Ségol, former Secretary General of UNI Europa.

The ETUC's mission is to bring about a united Europe of peace and stability, where working people and their families enjoy full human, civil, social and employment rights and high living standards. To achieve this, it promotes the European Social Model, combining sustainable economic growth with ever-improving living and working conditions, including full employment, social protection, equal opportunities, good quality jobs, social inclusion, and an open and democratic policy-making process that involves citizens fully in the decisions that affect them.

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