The International Federation of Petroleum and Chemical Workers (IFPCW) was a global union federation bringing together trade union representing workers in the chemical and oil industries.
The secretariat was established in 1954 at a meeting in Paris, held on the initiative of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) and the Oil Workers' International Union of the United States. It was formed in response to the growth of employment in the oil industry, and was initially named the International Federation of Petroleum Workers. Most of its founder members had previously been affiliated to the International Federation of Industrial Organisations and General Workers' Unions (IFF).[1] [2]
The secretariat was based in Denver, and was the only global union federation to have headquarters outside Europe. By 1960, it had 43 affiliates, with a membership of more than 500,000. In 1963, the union began recruiting unions of chemical workers, and renamed itself as the "International Federation of Petroleum and Chemical Workers". This brought it into conflict with the IFF, which renamed itself as the "International Federation of Chemical and General Workers' Unions" (ICF), and the ICFTU suspended grants to both organisations.
By the late 1960s, it became known that the IFPCW was receiving regular grants from CIA funds, and it became regarded as a CIA front organisation. Faced with a loss of prestige, it discussed a potential merger with the ICF, but this did not occur, and it dissolved in 1976.
In 1960, the following unions were affiliated to the federation:
| Union | Country | Affiliated membership | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autonomous Union of Italian Petroleum Workers | Italy | Unknown | |
| Bengal Oil and Petrol Workers' Union | India | Unknown | |
| Cartel of Unions of Research and Development Engineers in Hydrocarbons | France | Unknown | |
| Central Islamic Labour Union of Indonesia | Indonesia | Unknown | |
| West Germany | 10,000 | ||
| Consolidated Mobil Oil Workers' Union of Nigeria and Cameroons | Nigeria | Unknown | |
| Federation of Petroleum and Related Industries' Workers of Peru | Peru | 1,000 | |
| Hind Oil Kamger Sabha | India | 600 | |
| Israel | 2,400 | ||
| Gambia | Unknown | ||
| General Union of Petroleum Workers | Tunisia | Unknown | |
| General Union of Petroleum Workers | United Arab Republic | 20,000 | |
| Netherlands | 1,400 | ||
| Kenya Chemical Workers' Union | Kenya | Unknown | |
| Kenya Petroleum and Oil Workers' Union | Kenya | 2,500 | |
| Lebanese Petroleum Company Employees' and Workers' Union | Lebanon | 75 | |
| Madras Kerosene Oil Workers' Union | India | Unknown | |
| Mobil Oil Company Employees' Union | Lebanon | 140 | |
| Mobil Oil Workers' Union | Lebanon | 140 | |
| National Federation of Engineers and Supervisory Employees | France | 300 | |
| France | 600 | ||
| National Federation of Petroleum and Products Workers | Cuba | 10,919 | |
| National Federation of Workers in Commercial Distribution Companies of Mining Products and Combustible Materials | Brazil | 40,000 | |
| National Federation of Workers in the Chemical, Parachemical and Glass Industries | France | 4,000 | |
| Canada | 10,000 | ||
| United States | 200,000 | ||
| Oil Companies' Field Staff Association | India | 150 | |
| Oilfield Workers' Federation | British West Indies Federation | 12,000 | |
| Pakistan Petroleum Workers' Federation | Pakistan | 12,000 | |
| Panhellenic Federation of Petroleum Workers and Employees | Greece | 5,000 | |
| Petroleum Employees' Union | India | 800 | |
| Petroleum Employees' Union of Ceylon | Ceylon | Unknown | |
| Petroleum Workers' Federation of Aruba | Netherlands Antilles | 3,000 | |
| Petroleum Workers' Federation of Curaçao | Netherlands Antilles | 6,200 | |
| Petroleum Workers' Trade Union | Libya | Unknown | |
| Singapore Petroleum Workers' Union | Singapore | 989 | |
| Swiss Textile and Factory Workers' Union | Switzerland | Unknown | |
| Turkish Petroleum Workers' Union | Turkey | 6,000 | |
| Austria | Unknown | ||
| Union of Oil and Methane Gas Workers | Italy | 8,795 | |
| Union of Oil and Petroleum Workers | Ghana | 2,200 | |
| Union of Organised Petroleum Workers | Venezuela | 1,300 | |
| Union of Petroleum Workers of Colombia | Colombia | 20,000 |
1954: Loyd A. Haskins
1973: Curtis Hogan
1954: Jack Knight
1967: Luis Tovar
1973: George Sacre