About the GCTU
GENERAL CONFEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS, GCTU
The General Confederation of Trade Unions is a regional international trade union organisation founded 16 April 1992 on a voluntary basis with the purpose of consolidating trade union actions to protect citizens' social and labour rights and interests, help secure trade unions' rights and guarantees, and strengthen international trade union solidarity.
The GCTU currently affiliates 32 trade union organisations with a total membership of approximately 30 million organised workers.
The General Confederation of Trade Unions is widely recognised at the interstate level in the Commonwealth of Independent States.
It enjoys observer status with the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, and is actively involved in the work of the CIS Economic Council, a number of CIS industrial committees, and other statutory bodies of the Commonwealth.
The GCTU maintains partnership relations with the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly and Integration Committee of the Eurasian Economic Community comprising Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.
The GCTU cooperates with specialised agencies of the United Nations. It enjoys regional status for Europe with the International Labour Organisation and consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council, and is associated with the UN Department of Public Information.
The supreme authority of the General Confederation of Trade Unions is the Congress held every five years.
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The 9th Congress of the General Confederation of Trade Unions (GCTU) was held in Moscow’s Palace of Labour 7 September 2022.
Congress recognized the work done by the Confederation as satisfactory, adopted the Guidelines for GCTU Activity in 2022–2027, and approved the slogan of the region’s trade unions for the next five years: «Together – for social justice and a decent life».
In the coming period, the unions intend to:
- fight for a fair socio-economic policy;
- prevent deterioration in the social sphere;
- be open to constructive dialogue;
- ensure a combination of continuity and dynamism in the work;
- give a new breath to the GCTU’s activities in all areas.
Congress adopted the following resolutions:
- «Decent salary is a key factor of social justice»;
- «Occupational risk management and effective control are the basis of safe working conditions»;
- «For affordable and high-quality medicine»;
- «About the GCTU’s international activity. Tasks of the current moment».
Congress formed the compositions of the Council and the Executive Committee of the GCTU, and approved the member list of its Control and Auditing Commission.
Alexander Korchagin (leader of the TUI of Workers in the Oil and Gas Industries, and in the Construction of the Oil and Gas Complex) was elected President of the GCTU. He will perform his functions on a voluntary basis.
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The X (extraordinary) Congress of the General Confederation of Trade Unions was held in Moscow’s President Hotel 12 December 2023. The President of the GCTU Alexander Korchagin opened the Congress with an introductory speech and led it.
Тhe report «On the GCTU’s work in modern conditions: a solidarity response to new challenges focused on organizational issues, forms and methods of work, and the internal structure of the GCTU.
Тhe report stressed that it is important to determine the future appearance of the organization, its structure, forms and methods of work.
In was underlined the following: «Time goes on and the world becomes different. Perhaps we should think about expanding our geography, going beyond the CIS region, and taking a closer look at the environment, primarily the nearest one, as well as the states of anti-colonial choice”.
The Congress approved the work done by the GCTU in modern conditions and recommended that the member organizations continue to work on the implementation of the Guidelines for GCTU Activity in 2022–2027, taking into account new challenges.
Viktor Pinsky (Vice President of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia) was elected General Secretary of the GCTU.
Valentina Kabanova (President of the Moscow Regional Association of Trade Union Organizations) was elected President of the GCTU Control and Auditing Commission.
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The Head Office of the GCTU Executive is situated at:
42, Leninsky Prospekt, 119119, Moscow, Russian Federation
Tel. +7 495 938-07-74 (International Dpt.)
Web-site: http://www.vkp.ru
E-mail: inter@vkp.ru; mail@vkp.ru