General Federation of Trade Unions (Syria)

GFTU

Full name	General Federation of Trade Unions
Founded	1948
Members	300,000
Affiliation	WFTU, ICATU
Key people	Shaaban Azzouz, president
Office location	Damascus, Syria
Country	Syria

The General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU) is the sole national trade union center in Syria, it was founded in 1948. By a 1968 decree establishing a single-trade-union system, all trade unions in the country are required to be affiliated to the GFTU, and the GFTU has the power to dissolve the executive committee of any union.

The union is closely linked with the Syrian Regional Branch of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party, and the president of the GFTU, Shaaban Azzouz, is a member of the party.

The GFTU is affiliated with the World Federation of Trade Unions and the International Confederation of Arab Trade Unions.

References

• ICTUR et al.,, ed. (2005). Trade Unions of the World (6th ed.). London, UK: John Harper Publishing. ISBN 0-9543811-5-7.