World Union of Liberal Trade Union Organizations

The World Union of Liberal Trade Union Organizations known by its French acronym UMOS-BESL is a trade union federation of liberally inclined unions.

History

The federation was founded in Zürich in 1950.

Aims

The stated aims of the group were "to improve the moral and material status of manual and intellectual workers in public and private enterprises on the basis of a free and democratic state in which the liberty and dignity of man is guaranteed, the rights of minorities recognized and all groups collaborate in a liberal economy and opposition to dictatorship and class struggle."

Organization

UMOS-BESL had an annual congress which set policy and planned activities. The executive committee was made up of one delegate from each member union. In 1978 the headquarters was at Bandenerstrasse 41 CH-8004, Zurich c/o Josef Weber, the current general secretary.

Membership

In 1975 the union claimed half a million members. It had seven affiliate unions, all of them in Europe, though it had formally had an affiliate in Zaire
The seven European members were:

- Arbeitsgemeinschaft parteifreier Gewerkschafter
- General Confederation of Liberal Trade Unions of Belgium
- Deutscher Arbeitnehmer Verband
- Confederazione Italiana dei Liberi Sindacati
- Sveriges Arbeter Liberales
- National Association of Free Swiss Employees
- Association of Liberal Trade Unionists