The World Union of Liberal Trade Union Organizations known by its French acronym UMOS-BESL (Union Mondiale des Organisations Syndicales sur le base economique et social liberal) is a trade union federation of liberally inclined unions.[1]
The federation was founded in Zürich in 1950.[2]
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."[3]
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.[4] In 1978 the headquarters was at Bandenerstrasse 41 CH-8004, Zurich c/o Josef Weber, the current general secretary.[5]
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[6]
The seven European members were:[7]
Austria - Arbeitsgemeinschaft parteifreier Gewerkschafter
Belgium - General Confederation of Liberal Trade Unions of Belgium
Germany - Deutscher Arbeitnehmer Verband
Italy - Confederazione Italiana dei Liberi Sindacati
Sweden - Sveriges Arbeter Liberales
Switzerland - National Association of Free Swiss Employees
United Kingdom - Association of Liberal Trade Unionists