The World Federation for the Metallurgic Industry (, FMM) was a global union federation representing workers in the metalworking industry.
History The federation was established at a meeting in Essen, in August 1920, as the International Federation of Christian Trade Unions of Metal Workers. It held its first congress in November 1921 in Turin, when it agreed its statutes. It established offices in Utrecht, and affiliated to the International Federation of Christian Trade Unions.
By 1934, the federation had affiliates in Belgium, Czechoslovakia, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland, and Yugoslavia, with a total of 96,656 members. By 1979, this had grown to 500,000 members.
The federation voted to dissolve in 1983, believing that, with members in eight countries, it could not achieve effective action. Although it undertook no further activity, on 14 October 1985, it was officially merged with the International Federation for the Graphical Industries, the International Federation of Christian Miners' Unions, and the World Federation of Energy, Chemical and Various Industry Workers' Unions, forming the World Federation of Industry Workers.
Affiliates In 1979, the following unions were affiliated, along with eight indirectly affiliated unions in Asia, and some members in general unions in Latin America:
Union Country Membership Christian Fraction of the Union of Metal, Mining and Energy Austria 10,000 Christian Metalworkers' Union of Switzerland Switzerland 21,000 Christian Union of Belgian Metalworkers Belgium 159,000 Federation des Travailleurs de la Métallurgie, des Mines et des Produits Chimiques Canada Federacion Ecuatoriana de Trabajadores Metalurgicos y Afinas Ecuador 10,000 Indian Federation of Metal and Engineering Workers India 65,000 Industrial Workers' Union CNV Netherlands 35,000 Industrial Workers' Union NKV Netherlands 58,000 Luxembourg Confederation of Christian Trade Unions Luxembourg 3,500 Solidaridad de Obreros de Catalunya Spain Swiss Federation of Protestant Trade Unions Switzerland 5,000
Membership General Secretaries Arthur Bertinchamps Willy Goeminne F. W. M. Spit
Presidents Jules Coeck 1969: Rene Javaux 1972: G. Heiremans
References