The World Federation of Trade Unions was founded in Paris on October 3rd 1945, which makes it the oldest international trade union organisation. WFTU holds consultative status with the ILO and played a crucial role in the establishment of Convention 87 (C087 - Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948). There is a permanent representation of the organisation in the United Nations in New York, in FAO in Rome and in UNESCO in Paris.

It is a class-oriented trade union movement fighting against capitalist/imperialist barbarity, and for a society free of exploitation of humans by humans. Currently, WFTU has 105 million members in 133 countries. From 1945 until 1953, WFTU was based in Paris, France. Later on, between 1953 and 1956 the headquarters moved to Vienna, Austria and then, in 1956 to Prague, Czechoslovakia, before relocating again, this time to Athens, Greece in 2005. It has regional and sub-regional offices in all continents and also sectoral international trade unions (TUIs) in all major sectors of economy.