OUR HISTORY

In Rome n March 5^th 1950 253 delegates from all over Italy participated in the convention for the constitution of "Uil – l’Unione Italiana del Lavoro" (Italian Workers Union), a Labor Union Organization. Following the split from CGIL, Uil became the representative of those workers with laic ideologies, democrats and socialists that could lay claim to the reformist inheritance of Bruno Buozzi the union leader who was assassinated by the Nazi’s in 1944.

Amongst the main protagonists of that day were Italo Viglianesi, Enzo Dalla Chiesa and Renato Bulleri of Psu, Raffaelle Vanni & Amadeo Sommovigo of Pri, however, Unionists from PSIi were present, as were many independents. The convention was presided by many authoritative personalities like the Partisan Commander and ex President of the house Ferruccio Parri.

Indicated in the approved programmatic declaration were the five points that characterize and qualify the actions of UIL since the early beginning. Claim was laid to independence from the Political Parties, from the government and from the confessions, in fact, the autonomy of the category federations was valorized. Uil committed to utilizing a democratic method and declared itself favorable to research in the unity of action with the other Trade Unions and to intervention in all political, social and economic problems.

Notwithstanding the difficulty of the early years, Uil affirmed itself with the Italian workers, both in private and public sectors attaining over 400,000 members by the end of 1950. From January 1^st 1952, UIL became a part in the International Union (Icftu).

Through UIL’s Conventions a history may be traced, of Uil and of the Italian union movement including the evolution of our country from post war times to date.