The former Nordic federation NIF and its predecessors

The the Nordic federation NIF is the result of Nordic cooperation in many sectors and of a lot af mergers.

The general workers

In 1901 trade unions for general workers in the Nordic countries decided to support each other financially during periods of industrial action. Eventually this came to include study tours to each others countries and exchange of wage statistics. In time the cooperation developed further and a secreteriat was established in 1950.

In the 60s the secretariat began to arrange conferences on different topics, for example job evaluation, labour law, health and safety legislation, policies for collectiv bargaining, the free Nordic labour market and the need to organize workers from abroad. In 1972 the affiliates appointed a contact person for matters concerning multinational companies. Issues of increasing importance were equality between the sexes, as well as health and safety (for example the risks with chemical substances).

In the 80s one of the hot issues was the new technology. During this period the affliates were encouraged to join the European federation for trade unions organizing chemical and factory workers.

In 1990 a common frame agreement was developed for negotiations with companies working in more than one Nordic country. Also the development in the Eastern Europe and the Baltic states were on the agenda.

The clothing and textile workers

In the clothing sector Nordic trade unions agreed about mutual support in times of industrial action as early as 1897. The textile workers signed a similar agreement in 1906.

Ater World War II the Nordic cooperation in the textile and clothing sectors came to include common training seminars, giving the participants a better knowledge of the conditions in the other Nordic countries.

In the 60s and 70s the employment in the textile and clothing sectors was decreasing. The trade unions lost members and trade union structure had to change, both at national and at Nordic level. In 1973 the Nordic federations for clothing workers, for textile workers and for shoe and leather workers merged. In the new federation issues like information and training/education were still important, but eventually the federation began to focus more on wages and other working conditions, social conditions, trade and branch issues, as well as health and safety and professional issues.

In time the trade union work at European and global level became of greater importance. Some of the objectives were to make the global union for textile workers to call for more of social concern (social clauses) in the international trade agreements, as well as for prohibition of child labour.

A new merger - NIF is founded

NIF was founded in 1993 by a merger between the Nordic federation for trade unions organizing factory workers and the Nordic federation for workers in the textile- and clothing industries. This merger was in a way a consequence of a similar merger between the Swedish trade unions in the same sectors.

Branch structure important

In the new federation NIF, the branches were important. The federation was built up by a presidium and three branch committees: the Clothing Committee, the Factory Committee and the Paper Committee (later the names were Textile Committee, Chemistry Committee and Paper Committee). The chair persons of the committees were included in the presidium.

The work of NIF was to a great extent done in the committees, but eventually there were also activities of a more general character which concerned all branches, for example conferences about collective bargaining and health and safety.

As Sweden and Finland joined the European Union, NIF began to arrange training seminars for elected representativs and for employees in the affiliated unions on the European Union. With the directive of European Works Councils from 1994 training seiminars for delegates in European Works Councils also became an important part of the work of NIF.

Coordination

In time the work of NIF transformed from information and exchange of experiences to developing common guidelines and policies. The objective of NIF was more and more to coordinate the Nordic trade unions, in order to get a stronger Nordic influence on the European and global trade union work.

Support to the Baltic unions

NIF was also active supporting the trade unions in the Baltic states. Every two years NIF arranged a Baltic Forum, where Nordic and Baltic trade unions could meet and exchange experiences. Here the Nordic trade unions also could get better knowledge of the best way to support the Baltic trade unions. A support that normally was given directly from one of the affiliates to a Baltic trade union.

In 1998 the federation decided to establish a secretariat with a full time Nordic officer.

Merger with Nordiska Metall

In 2006 NIF merged with the Nordic federation for trade unions in the metal sector, Nordiska Metall. Nordic IN was founded.

Presidents of NIF

1994-1995 Uno Ekberg, the Swedish trade union Industrifacket

1995-1999 Arne Lökken, the Swedish trade union Industrifacket

1999-2005 Leif Ohlsson, the Swedish trade union Industrifacket

Nordic officers of NIF

1994-2002 Henning Carlsson

2002-2005 Kent Kärrlander