The International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) was a global union federation of trade unions. In November 2007, ICEM represented 467 industrial trade unions in 132 countries, claiming a membership of over 20 million workers.
History
The federation was founded in 1995 in Washington, DC, when the Miners' International Federation merged with the International Federation of Chemical and General Workers' Unions. In 2000, the small Universal Alliance of Diamond Workers merged into the federation, while in 2007, the World Federation of Industry Workers joined. In June 2012, affiliates of ICEM merged into the new global federation IndustriALL Global Union.
The organization represented workers employed in a wide range of industries, including energy, mining, chemicals, bioscience, pulp and paper, rubber, gems and jewellery, glass, ceramics, cement, and environmental services.
Organization and activities
The headquarters of ICEM was variously based in Brussels, Belgium, Affiliates of ICEM have also organized protests in South Africa. ICEM worked together with human rights and environmental activists who were in conflict with multinationals such as Rio Tinto by raising awareness and funding research.
Research
Richard Croucher and Elizabeth Cotton's book Global Unions, Global Business contains a case study of the ICEM's dealings with the Anglo American mining company, in chapter eight.
The archive of ICEM is housed in the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam and is open to the public.