The International Federation of Free Teachers' Unions (IFFTU) was a global union federation of trade unions representing teachers.
History
The International Federation of Teachers' Trade Unions was founded after World War II, and affiliated to the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU). When the large majority of Western trade unions left the WFTU, the teachers' trade secretariat was the only one to remain affiliated to the WFTU. To fill this gap, the new International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) held a meeting in Paris in 1951 to found a rival international secretariat, the "International Federation of Free Teachers' Unions".[1]
By 1960, the secretariat had 12 affiliates in 11 countries, with a total of 229,500 members, and continued to grow rapidly.[1] At the end of 1992, it merged with the World Confederation of Organisations of the Teaching Profession, to form Education International.[2]
Affiliates
In 1960, the following unions were affiliated to the federation:[1]
| Union | Country | Affiliated membership |
|---|---|---|
| American Federation of Teachers | United States | 55,000 |
| Federation of Civil Servants | Belgium | 19,000 |
| International Centre of Free Trade Unionists in Exile | N/A | Unknown |
| National Federation of Education | France | 5,000 |
| National Federation of Teachers | Tunisia | 2,500 |
| National Union of Elementary Schools | Italy | 119,000 |
| National Union of Teachers | Israel | 14,500 |
| Spanish Federation of Teachers | Spain | 1,000 |
| Trinidad and Tobago Teachers' Union | British West Indies Federation | 4,000 |
| Union of Public Services Personnel | Switzerland | 850 |
Leadership
General Secretaries
- 1951: Maurice van de Moortel
- 1965: Andre Braconier
- 1981: Fred van Leeuwen
Presidents
- 1951: Irvin Kuenzli
- 1956: Pierre Reymond-Sauvin
- 1965: Heinrich Roden
- 1972: Erich Frister
- 1981: Albert Shanker