There is a "call for unions to respond to globalization by strengthening the global union movement. For some, this suggests building ‘global unions' capable of organizing workers of a single multi-national company across borders. For others it means developing cross-border alliances with other unions for organizing, campaigning and protesting. For others still it implies strengthening labour rights around the world, by working through international labour federations and lobbying national and multi-lateral policy bodies."
(Orfald, D.,
Learning to Change?, 2006, visited 2011-06-15)
Affiliations Within the International Trade Union Movement
"The building blocks of the international trade union movement are national trade union organisations, i.e. national unions (from a given sector or industry within one country) and national centres (grouping these national unions in a given country). These are the organisations that affiliate with the international trade union organisations. National centres have their own international organisation, the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU). The ICFTU, a democratic organisation representing the overwhelming majority of the world's trade unions, is the leading international trade union organisation for national centres.
Just as national centres provide the collective voice for workers to influence the policies of governments in their respective countries, the ICFTU provides the voice for workers with international organisations such as the various bodies of the United Nations system.
Just as national centres are the means by which trade unions forge common policies, the ICFTU is the vehicle for the world's trade unions to achieve common ground.
Just as national centres defend the right of workers to join trade unions and work to ensure that trade unions play an important role in national economic and political life, the ICFTU fights for the universal application of workers' rights and promotes the role of trade unions everywhere."
(International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU),
A Trade Union Guide to Globalisation, visited 2011-05-06)