The ETUC and ITUC are independent, but work closely together.
The ITUC was founded on 1 November 2006, from the merger of the former International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) and the World Confederation of Labour (WCL). The ITUC unites trade unions at a global level, building worldwide solidarity and representing trade union members in international fora such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the United Nations, and the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
The Pan-European Regional Council of the ITUC represents all ITUC European affiliates covering, in addition to countries represented in ETUC: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, Moldova, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Nonetheless, the two bodies work in very close cooperation and share the same General Secretary, Luca Visentini. PERC President is Irakli Petriashvili, President of the GTUC-Georgia.
The ITUC and ETUC campaign together on issues such as trade union rights, equal opportunities and discrimination, the environment, and migration. They also have their headquarters in the same building: International Trade Union House in Brussels, Belgium.