About us
UNI Global Union, based in Nyon, Switzerland, represents more than 20 million workers from over 150 different countries in the fastest growing sectors in the world – skills and services. A total of 90% of new jobs are expected to be in these sectors in the next decade. UNI and our affiliates in all regions are driven by the responsibility to ensure these jobs are decent and workers’ rights are protected, including the right to join a union and collective bargaining.
Through its Sector Global Unions, UNI represents workers in Cleaning and Security, Commerce, Finance, Gaming, Graphical and Packaging, Hair and Beauty, Information, Communication, Technology and Services Industry (ICTS), Media, Entertainment and Arts, Post and Logistics, Private Care and Social Insurance, Sport, Temp and Agency workers, and Tourism industries as well as Professionals and Managers, Women and Youth.
UNI’s Breaking Through strategy is about changing the rules of the game in the global labour market and ensuring justice and equality for working people. UNI is working with its affiliates to organise the global service sector workforce at a time of unprecedented precarious work, and record youth unemployment.
In June 2018, UNI held its World Congress in Liverpool which met under the theme: “Making it Happen” and brought together almost 2,000 participants from 523 organisations in 113 countries. During the Congress, Ruben Cortina was unanimously elected as UNI Global Union President and Christy Hoffman was unanimously elected as UNI Global Union General Secretary with Alke Boessiger taking up the position of Deputy General Secretary .
The Congress constituted the largest single global union gathering in the UK in 2018 and reinforced UNI's determination to break through for workers all over the world.
Winning for Workers
- UNI have agreed over 50 Global Agreements with multinational companies have set fair standards and conditions for their more than 10 million workers around the world.
- UNI is the voice of service workers at the global level with seats on key sustainability organisations like the UN Global Compact and at forums for global leaders like the G20 and the World Economic Forum.
- UNI’s organising fund supports our affiliated unions as they organise thousands of workers around the globe.
- Working with our Colombian unions, the government and national and multinational employers and through our Freedom from Fear campaign, we are breaking the cycle of violence against trade unionists and creating a safe environment for trade union work.
- UNI is working for a world of peace, democracy and human rights. The global labour movement is united with the peace movement to create a just and peaceful world.
- UNI is one of founders of the Bangladesh Accord, a binding and enforceable agreement which protects garment workers in Bangladesh from the unacceptable dangers of fire and building hazards.
Biographies
| Christy Hoffman - General Secretary | Alke Boessiger - Deputy General Secretary |
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| About Christy Hoffman | About Alke Boessiger |
Key Information